Shadows that follow You
by Rivan Warrioress
Summary: Sick of Stiles' lying about what he's upto, and worried about him in the aftermath of being attacked, Sheriff Stilinski sends Stiles go and spend the summer with Felicity in Starling City. Oliver and Digge are very curious about Felicity's babyt brother, and want to help him...but then Stiles' past in Beacon Hills folows him to Starling City.
1. Chapter 1

Felicity was busily working on rewiring her computer cables in the Vigilante's underground lair when her phone began to ring. She frowned, not expecting any phone calls. The only people who would call her at this time of night were Oliver and Diggle...who were both in the basement with her, training together. She set down the wires and fished her phone out of her pocket, smiling when she saw the caller ID on the screen. It was her step-father...although John was more her father than her real, biological father ever had been to her. She quickly answered it, hoping that the noise from the men training wouldn't carry down the phone. John was, after all, a Sherriff. He would know what fighting sounded like.

"Hey John," she beamed down the phone, "How are things down south?"

"Hi Felicity things are...well, they aren't great if I'm honest."

Felicity's face fell, and her voice thickened, "Why...what's wrong...are you ok...is Stiles?" She shot a glance at Oliver and Diggle, who had stopped fighting the moment they noticed the concern in her voice, and Oliver was giving her a worried look.

"I...I don't know...Would...I know you're busy with work and everything...but do you think you could have him there with you while he's off school. I just think he needs to get out of town for a bit."

"Has anything happened? He hasn't said anything in his emails?"

"I...I don't know what to do, Felicity. I try to get him to talk, and he just lies and stonewalls me. We used to be close but this whole year...he'd been acting weird...even for him."

"It's okay John...I mean, I'm not going to be able to get much...if any...time off work...you know how my supervisor is, otherwise I'd come down...but if you think he needs it, then yeah, of course Stiles can come and visit."

"Thank you Felicity...this means a lot" Johns sighed in relief down the phone. Felicity nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"You just look after yourself, alright, and I'll take care of Stiles."

"Alright...I'll contact you again once I break the news to him and organise flights."

"Okay, John...I'll talk to you then, bye," Felicity smiled sadly.

"See you, Felicity." John farewelled, before hanging up. Felicity put her phone on the table in front of her and sighed.

"Something wrong, Felicity?" Oliver asked. Felicity leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bench and resting her forehead on the heels of her hands.

"Heads up...I'm not going to be available for much back up for the next few weeks," she told them.

"Why is that?" Diggle asked.

"My little brother is coming to stay with me for his summer holidays. I'm going to be bailing on him to go to work during the day; I can't leave him alone at nights as well."

"I didn't know you had a little brother," Oliver commented.

Felicity gave a dry laugh, "There are a whole lot of things about me you don't know, Oliver. I am a closed book as far as you are concerned."

Diggle snorted in amusement and Felicity gave him a smile, before she sighed, feeling bad for teasing Oliver like that.

"Sorry," she apologised, "it's just that my family...it's kind of complicated...although going from what I know about present company it isn't that strange...alright, fine, but I'm only going to say this once, and if I cry you do not mention it ever again, promise?"

Oliver looked at Diggle for a moment, before they looked at her, both nodding.

"Of course," Oliver put in. Felicity sighed and walked across the room to her chair, the two men following her, grabbing their usual seats and dragging them to where they could face her. Felicity exhaled.

"Okay...starting in the beginning. My Mom and Dad broke up when I was one. It was an amicable split, and I stayed with my dad every second weekend up until he died when I was almost five. When I was two, my mom met John Stilinski, and she fell in love with him. They got married when I was seven. I don't remember a time when John wasn't there...he was more my dad than my biological dad was...and he was absolutely devoted to my mom. I always said to myself that when I grew up and got married, I wanted my husband to love me just like John loved my mom...anyway... just after I turned eight I found out I was going to get a little half brother or sister, and six months later my mom had Stiles...my adorable, and very tiny at the time, even though the last time I saw him he was taller than me not that it's hard, baby brother. Anyway, time passed, and Stiles grew into this adorable little boy. He got diagnosed with ADHD, but mom and John didn't care, even when Stiles would tire us all out. He had so much energy as a kid...and he babbles like I do. We used to be the only ones who understood each other once we got going. That...that was when everything fell apart," Felicity broke off and sniffed, feeling her throat closing up with emotion, just as it always did when it came to talking about this part of her life. She startled when she felt a large hand on her shoulder, just resting there reassuringly, and she looked up at Oliver, who gave her a gentle smile.

"Take your time," he told her. Felicity nodded, sucking in air before she continued on.

"When Stiles was six, and I was fourteen my mom got diagnosed with cancer. John was busy with work, trying to pay for the medical bills, so Stiles and I looked after mom. Stiles grew up so much in those first few months...we both did. My mom lasted eighteen months after the diagnosis before she died." Felicity sniffed and took off her glasses to she could wipe her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry," Diggle told her.

Felicity nodded, "Thanks...I appreciate it."

Oliver gave her a concerned look, and tightened his grip slightly on her shoulder, before he let his arm drop. Felicity cleared her throat.

"John...John was devastated by loosing mom...we all were. Stiles was alone with her in the hospital when it happened. John had gone to the cafeteria, and when he came back they had called it. Stiles started having panic attacks, like...all of the time. Most nights he slept with me in my room just so we could hold onto one another. John stared drinking more, before you ask no, he was never abusive to either of us...not that I was aware of, and threw himself into work. He got elected Sherriff the next year. We muddled on the best we could...we still had each other anyway, and we were better off than some, so I won't ever complain that those first few years after mom died were bad."

"Sounds rough," Diggle commented.

"What do you mean, compared with others?" Oliver asked curiously, "Sounds like you guys had it pretty bad."

"My best friend in high school...she had it way worse. Three weeks before we graduated her house caught fire. She lost twelve members of her family. All that was left was her younger brother and her uncle, who was badly burned and is now in a catatonic state in hospital. She lost both her parents...two brothers...two sisters, an uncle, two aunts, and three cousins. Everything was destroyed in that fire. All she and her brother had were the clothes on their backs and what they had in their school lockers...trust me, I would rather be dead than go through what Laura and Derek went through."

Oliver and Diggle both exhaled and shuddered at the prospect of losing so much at the tender age of 18.

"What happened to them?" Oliver asked curiously, already trying to think of a way to offer assistance to the pair. Felicity's friend would only be about 24, and he didn't know how old the boy was.

"They moved to New York, and Laura went to college there while Derek finished high school. I saw them sometimes when Laura and I were on breaks from classes. Laura was mauled to death by a mountain lion almost a year ago...I don't know where Derek is...the last time I spoke to him was the day he told me that Laura was dead. Anyway...we are so of topic. I left Beacon Hills when I graduated and headed off to College. I used to head back home every summer, but since I started working at Queen Consolidated I haven't had the opportunity. I like to let the people with kids take school vacation times, so it's been two years since I've seen John and Stiles...even though Stiles emails at least once a week and John tries to call once a month to catch up...or to check in on me to make sure I haven't been killed in a earthquake...or to ask me if Stiles can come and spend the summer with me."

"Did John say why he needed you to look after your brother?' Diggle asked. Felicity shook her head.

"No, but he sounded...I don't know...stressed. From the last few phone calls I've had from him I know things haven't been right with Stiles all year, but I don't know what. Even in his emails to me Stiles has been vague on details...I guess I'll have to talk with him about it when he gets here. I am not hacking his computer though...I don't want to know what my teenaged brother looks up...I don't want that kind of knowledge."

Oliver and Diggle both laughed at the look of horror on Felicity's face at the prospect of going through Stiles' browser history. They both had been teenage boys once too, and they had little doubt at what Felicity would find.

She was better off not knowing,

TW/A

Stiles closed his eyes as he felt the plane touchdown on the runway of Starling City's airport, wishing with all his might that he was back in Beacon Hills with the rest of the pack. He still couldn't believe that his father had sent him to spend the summer with his older half sister. Sure, things had been tense between them ever since the thing at the Jungle, and Matt's raid on the police station, but Stiles hadn't seen the punishment coming.

Slowly Stiles grabbed his back pack and joining the throng of people getting off the plane. It didn't take long, considering that since the earthquake that levelled a good half of the Glades Starling City hadn't been a booming tourist location. Stiles was actually surprised that his dad had sent him here, given that the city was considered to be highly dangerous. Of course, Felicity was Stiles' only living relative other than his dad, so the Sherriff had limited options, but still Stiles had been surprised.

Upon reflection it had made Stiles realise how much he had hurt his father with his actions, and with the endless lies, and guilt had bubbled up within him, swallowing him whole.

More than anything Stiles wished he was in Beacon Hills, so he could hug his father tightly, just like he had the night of the lacrosse game, after Gerard Argent had finally let him go, and beg for forgiveness.

Despite everything, however, Stiles couldn't help but smile when he saw his sister waiting for him at the arrivals gate, almost jumping up and down in excitement. His smile only grew when she lunged at him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're here...I mean, I was surprised when your dad called me asking if it was okay if you came and spent your summer with me, given everything that's been happening here lately with the earthquake and everything, but now you're here, and it's so good to see you...and you're a lot taller than I remembered...of course, that was bound to happen since it's been two years and you're a teenage boy, and that's what they do best...grow, I mean."

Stiles was full on grinning now. Felicity could ramble on just as much as he could. When they were younger, before Felicity moved out to go to college, they would babble away at one another so quickly that no-one else could understand what they were saying.

"What happened, Stiles...you look like you got hit by a truck...not that I would know what that looks like...actually it looks like you were beaten up by somebody...and I wouldn't know anything about that either. John wouldn't tell me over the phone...just that you needed to get away for a bit...please tell me you and Scott haven't been picking fights."

"We haven't," Stiles said, "It was a lacrosse thing...pretty awesome actually. The other team took exception to me scoring the winning goal and cornered me on my own after the game...no big deal."

"You...wow...you said in your last email that you weren't expecting to play during an actual game any time soon. Guess the Coach finally grew a brain and saw how awesome you are."

"Something like that."

"Right, well...let's go get your stuff...the sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can ditch your stuff back at my place and I can take you to the kick ass Chinese restraint that I found." Felicity beamed, taking Stiles' arm and leading him to the baggage claim area, where they picked up Stiles' large duffle bag.

"So, how's the jeep running," Felicity asked as she and Stiles reached her car. Stiles flinched, remembering the damage inflicted to his beloved jeep when he had hit Jackson with it.

"It's okay...I kind of scratched it a few weeks ago, but other than that it works." He admitted. Felicity frowned.

'Are you okay?" she asked, concern seeping into her voice, "You don't seem your usual chipper self."

"Did dad say anything to you about why he was sending me here?" he asked as Felicity turned to face him.

"Just that he thought that you needed to get out of town for a bit...and after seeing you, I'm inclined to believe him. You look almost as bad now as you did back when mom died...Oh, god, John's not sick, is he?"

Stiles shook his head, "Not that I know of, except for the ongoing cholesterol issue, which I'm helping him with...and he's fighting me over. Bacon is the food of the devil."

Felicity couldn't help but laugh, remembering her own battles with John about his diet, both before she left Beacon Hills and when she used to come back for the summer during her college years.

"Are you having panic attacks again?" Felicity asked. Stiles tensed in his seat, his gaze going distant. It was a look eerily familiar to Felicity...Oliver would look similar when he was flashing back to his time on the island.

"Stiles?" she prompted softly, wanting to reach out to him, but knowing that she shouldn't. Diggle had warned her never to touch him or Oliver when they were having flashbacks, since they could lash out. Stiles wasn't a trained fighter, but Felicity didn't want to scare him. He had obviously been in a fight after all.

Stiles swallowed, and nodded, absentmindedly touching his split lip "a bit," he admitted. Felicity frowned and reached over, pulling Stiles into an awkward sideways hug.

"Dad made me go to a councillor," Stiles added. Felicity kissed the top of his head.

"You'll be okay, Stiles...They aren't going to get you...the ones who did this to you...I won't let them. Does John know who did it?"

"Just that it was guys from the other team...I don't know who it was, they were wearing masks, and they'd changed out of their lacrosse gear."

"It's okay; Stiles...John will find them."

"No...I don't want him too. It...It's nothing, alright. It was just some stupid school rivalry thing...Dad doesn't need to be involved." Stiles snapped, pulling away from Felicity. Felicity sat straight in her seat, surprised by Stiles' outburst.

"Stiles...you're having panic attacks...this is obviously more than just being jumped by some jocks. Besides, John got involved the moment you were. He's the Sheriff, you know."

"Felicity...I don't know if you remember this, but using 'my dad is the Sheriff' stopped working as a bully deterrent in the fourth grade. I...I just want to move on and get over this."

"Ok," Felicity sighed, starting her car and driving out of the parking bay. Stiles was quiet as they drove through the city, until he saw the first signs of the earthquake.

"Wow...I saw pictures and footage on the news, but I didn't expect it to be this bad," he said in a soft voice, "where's your house again."

"I'm a few blocks from the Glades," she told him, "no damage except for a cracked mug that fell off a table during the quake."

It was Stiles' turn to shoot a concerned look at Felicity, who forced a reassuring smile on her face.

"It's okay...better than it was just after the quake. Just...when you're at home, don't leave the door or the windows unlocked. There's been a lot of looting going on...I would consider taking you to work with me...but A, you would be bored out of your brain, and B, if you weren't bored, I hate to think what sort of trouble you would be getting us both into."

Stiles snorted, "Both are valid points," he agreed as Felicity arrived at her apartment building and drove into the underground car park. She parked in her assigned space, and they got out, Stiles gathering his duffle bag and his back pack u, before they headed up to Felicity's apartment. Stiles had never been to Starling city before, so he didn't know what to expect when Felicity opened up the door to her apartment and switched off the alarm, before closing and locking the door again securely once they were both inside.

"You weren't kidding about the security thing, were you?" he asked.

Felicity shook her head, "This isn't Beacon Hills, Stiles...this is the city...and it's as dangerous now as it's ever been."

"Even with that arrow guy running around?" Stiles asked. He had heard about the vigilante of Starling City...there was a lot of chatter on the internet about him. People often debated whether he was doing god or evil. Stiles personally thought that the archer had a good thing going. Sure, he killed people, but he had also played a role in exposing the corruption that apparently was everywhere in Starling City...and Stiles was sure that the people that were killed by the vigilante must have been doing something wrong in order to attract the guys attention. At the same time, though, Stiles kept that opinion to himself. What the vigilante did seemed dangerously close to what the Argents did, and Stiles didn't condone the hunter lifestyle...especially now that he had experienced the so called 'hospitality' of Gerard Argent.

"Crime rates have dropped since he's been active, considerably," Felicity told him, "but since the earthquake things have been a little tense, and like I said, there's been a lot of looting going on. Just...be careful, okay?"

Stiles nodded, and Felicity smiled in relief, visibly relaxing.

"Great, now, are you hungry...there's this great Chinese place that I want to take you to."

Stiles snorted, setting his bags down carefully in a corner.

"Seriously...I am always hungry...growing teenage boy here...when can we leave."

Felicity laughed and put her hands on Stiles' shoulders, steering him back out of the apartment.

"Come on, Stiles...let's go and get some dinner."


	2. Chapter 2

"So how is the little brother sitting going?" Diggle asked Felicity from the doorway to her office. Felicity, who hadn't seen him come in, jumped.

"God, Diggle...you're just as bad as Oliver," she complained, "Between the two of you I am going to end up having a heart attack by the time I'm 30. Where is Oliver anyway?"

"He's on his way down, he and Walter just had to finish up a meeting with the department heads."

"Sounds like fun," Felicity snorted, and Diggle laughed.

"Riveting...better him then me."

"Thanks for the support, Diggle," Oliver teased walking into Felicity's office and closing the door. Felicity noticed the unspoken signal and quickly switched the video feed in her office off; replacing it with a tape they had recorded just after Walter had promoted Felicity, by extension giving her the larger, more private, office. The recording was of the three of them making small talk, all Queen Consolidated business, with nothing relating to the vigilante, or even that they knew each other anymore than they should. Felicity was just glad that there wasn't much variation on what she wore to work each day. It was always fairly similar, a white shirt with a black skirt or a black pair of pants. In the video you could only see the back of her shirt anyway, so it didn't matter so much wether she was wearing a skirt or pants.

"How have you been?" Oliver asked Felicity, "How's your brother going?"

Felicity rolled her eyes, "Stiles is fine, thanks for asking...I can handle my brother just great. You just want him gone so that you can have me back working late"

"He has only been here two days," Diggle reminded Oliver, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Really? Is that all? Hmm...that's dragged. We should go out together. You me, your brother, Diggle...we could go to the diner"

"And how would I explain to my brother how I know you...I know I told you he has ADHD, but he's still very smart...like...super smart."

"Smarter than you?" Diggle asked. Felicity pushed her glasses up her nose slightly.

"Not as far as computers go, even though he is better than most kids his age, but in other areas, yes."

"Like what?" Oliver asked curiously.

Felicity shrugged, "To be honest I have no idea...trust me; he focuses on the strangest stuff. Last year he wrote a paper on the history of male circumcision...for economics class...at least, that was the story John told me."

Oliver and Diggle both laughed hard at the comment, "I have got to meet this kid, he sounds great." Oliver chuckled, grinning broadly.

"No hooking him up with your sister...He's only just turned sixteen...Thea's two and a half years older than him." Felicity told him, her tone turning protective. Oliver held up his hands defensively, recognising the behaviour of an older sibling.

"Wouldn't dream of it...beside, I wouldn't have a chance anyway, Roy and Thea have been pretty close since the earthquake."

"I think they're cute together," Felicity told the two men, going back to her computers and typing away on her keyboards

"Seriously...Thea and Roy?" Oliver asked her. Felicity rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Thea and Roy. I mean, he's obviously devoted to her, and he's helped her through all of the crap of the last six months or so...they obviously mean a lot to one another. They're good for one another...one day you'll see it. You just can't see it now because you're all protective big brother over Thea...although I think the whole protective thing is actually more just a brother thing, because Stiles once kicked a boyfriend of mine in the balls when he was, like, eight...of course, that was after they guy in question dumped me because I wouldn't sleep with him, but there you go."

Oliver coughed; "Seriously?" he asked...not that he thought Stiles had done the wrong thing. When Stiles was eight, Felicity would have only been sixteen or seventeen. If it had been Thea Oliver would have done a lot more than knee the guy in question in the balls.

"Funnily enough Stiles didn't get into trouble for it from John." Felicity said with a smile.

"Who was this guy?" Diggle asked. Felicity resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Relax, the last I heard he had just gone back into prison for a nice long stint for getting busted dealing drugs in LA," she told the, Diggle and Oliver both relaxed knowing that the man who had hurt Felicity was behind bars, but Felicity wasn't paying attention, she was focused on the computer screen in front of her.

"So...you and Stiles...the diner...tonight?' Oliver prompted after a short pause, "You guys in?"

"Alright," Felicity nodded, nerves building within her at the thought of Stiles meeting Oliver and Diggle. She hoped he liked them...and they liked him. Stiles was going to be around for a while yet, and already Felicity had begun to wonder if having someone older to look up to, a male role model, would be good for Stiles while he was away from his dad. Stiles had always been very open with Felicity, but ever since he had arrived in Starling city, he had been stonewalling her, chatting happily, but at the same time obviously hiding something, and frankly it was beginning to worry her. Maybe being around Oliver and Diggle would help. They were both good guys, despite the image Oliver put out for the press, and Felicity trusted them both more than any other guy she knew...with the exception of John and perhaps Walter

"Great...we'll meet you there at eight...does that suit everybody?" Oliver asked. Felicity and Diggle both nodded.

"I'll tell Carly that we're planning on coming," Diggle offered pulling out his phone. Oliver smiled and Felicity.

"We'll see you both then."

"Alright," Felicity nodded, flicking the cameras in the office back to normal as the two men got up and left the room, before she exhaled nervously, her heart rapidly beating in her chest.

"Please let this go well." She said to the computer in front of her.

TW/A

Stiles switched of Felicity's TV and carefully put the DVD of his current favourite movie, The Avengers, back in its rightful spot in her DVD shelf. Years of experience told Stiles that Felicity was very particular about how her things were arranged, so he had been very careful to note where the DVD needed to go.

The DVD put away, Stiles slumped back down on the couch which was also serving as his bed for the foreseeable future. He had only been in Starling City for two days, and he was bored out of his mind already. Sure, he had brought his laptop with him, and he had daily skype sessions with Scott, but Stiles wasn't game to bring up any of his favourite websites. His dad knew very little about computers, but Stiles knew that Felicity could very easily hack his computer...and he had a lot of password encrypted stuff on his computer. Stiles didn't really want his sister to find the database he was building about the supernatural stuff that he and the rest of the pack had encountered...or the websites he went to in order to watch porn.

Considering what Felicity had told him, going out for a walk was out of the question. Sure, Stiles could go out in broad daylight, but he still had no idea what to do. He didn't know Starling city, and most of the tourist attractions were closed because of the earthquake...not that the city had many to begin with...Starling city was more of a business and industry centre, rather than a hot tourist location.

A glance at the clock revealed that it was getting late. Felicity would be home in an hour or so, but she had declined Stiles' offer of cooking dinner, telling him that she didn't want him to have to worry about cooking dinner while he was on vacation. Stiles had reluctantly agreed, although he would have appreciated the distraction from his boredom.

Heaving out a sigh, Stiles rolled off the couch and climbed to his feet, staggering over to Felicity's bookcase. He carefully traced his finger over the spine of the books, recognizing many of them from Felicity's bedroom before she moved out. Felicity had been the one to introduce him to comic books, and to Science fiction. Stiles fondly remembered the long nights when he would curl up in Felicity's bed, and she read The Hobbit, and then The Lord of the Rings, to him. That had been when his mother was sick, and it was Stiles' fondest memory of that period of his life.

Instead of the novels, however, Stiles' gaze was drawn to the photo albums stored in the bookshelf. He recognised them too. There were two that were identical duplicates of ones from home, photos from Felicity and Stiles' childhood up until their mother died. Felicity had spent days going through each album, scanning each photo before putting them on disk and printing them all out again for her own albums, just so both she and Stiles would be able to look at the photos, even though she was away from home.

Other albums were different...newer, and Stiles picked up a couple, taking them back to the couch and opened one up, flicking through. There were photos from Felcity's college days , and a few trips she went on with her college friends, and Stiles quickly lost interest in them (except for a few where Felicity was clearly drunk...he was certain that his dad didn't know about those.) After taking a few photos on his phone for blackmail purposes, Stiles set the college album aside, and picked up the next one. This one was thicker, and Stiles swallowed reflexively when he opened it, recognizing it as photos from Beacon Hills dating from after his mother's death. Felicity got a digital camera for Christmas that year, and she had taken a lot of photos with it. Stiles found it oddly ironic that despite working with computers and being an certified genius, Felicity always got her photos printed, preferring being able to look at albums, instead of looking at them on a screen.

The first photo in the book was of Claudia Stilinski's gravestone, and Stiles swallowed reflexively, turning the page quickly. He remembered those dark days vividly...days littered with panic attacks and sudden bouts of crying...days when he had no appetite, and even Scott couldn't cheer him up...although it hadn't been through any fault on Scott's behalf. Every day after school Scott would go to Stiles' and spend time with him, chattering away about his day...or about whatever comic he had just read, or whatever games the boys were playing...trying to distract Stiles from his pain, ready with his inhaler if Stiles started to struggle to breath. Stiles still had no idea what he would have done if Scott hadn't been there for him in those months following his mother's death. It was one of the reasons that Stiles had stayed at Scott's side throughout all the werewolf crap, even though it had put him in danger.

Ever since then Felicity had always been very fond of Scott, having recognized how much Stiles relied on him, and how Scott had always been there of Stiles. Stiles quirked an eyebrow at the album, looking at a photo of he and Scott, curled up together on Stiles' bed, both obviously sound asleep. According to the date in the caption Felicity had written, Stiles was eight, and Scott had just turned nine, and Stiles' mother had been gone for four months. Stiles smiled ruefully, before he continued looking through the album, noticing numerous photos of him, usually with Scott.

Another person who Stiles recognized in the album was Laura Hale...smiling and confident looking, as if she had the world at her feet, not even knowing that in a few short years her world would be turned upside down.

Stiles was fairly certain that Derek remembered that their older sisters had been best friends...but the alpha werewolf had never said anything about it. Stiles would be willing to bet that Laura's murder was the sole reason for that...and considering everything that Derek had gone through, and the fact that they weren't really friends, it wasn't surprising. Derek tended to keep personal things private.

Stiles dimly remembered spending time with the Hales as a child, especially after his mother died. Sometimes Laura and Felicity would arrange outings for their respective siblings, a picnic in the woods, or a trip to the ice skating ring, or to the movies. Of the group, Stiles had been the youngest, while Derek had been one of the oldest, so they hadn't interacted much...especially after Stiles convinced Felicity to let him bring Scott along.

A broad smile spread it's way across Stiles' face as he looked at the photos, noticing how, the further into the album he got, and how time progressed, the lingering pain in his family's eyes seemed to become less keen, as if they were slowly putting their lives back together. He paused when he saw a photo obviously taken at the Beacon Hills High School Lacrosse field just after a training session, featuring Felicity and a few of her friends, including Laura Hale, and some boys in Lacrosse gear...including a very young looking Derek Hale...wearing the number 24 jersey that Stiles now wore. There was another photo, obviously taken on the same day, with Derek in the background, his back turned. The name Hale was emblazoned across the back of the red vest in white writing, above the number 24, and it made Stiles snort in amusement. Derek had been keeping quite a few things to himself. The fact that Stiles wore the same number that Derek himself had once worn should have been mentioned by now...or at least, that's what Stiles thought anyway.

Stiles, however, stopped and froze as he spotted a photo towards the end of the book, staring at it with a sense of horror, all trace of prior amusement gone from his face.

He clearly remembered the occasion. It had been Halloween, the year Felicity had been in her senior year of high school. Halloween was one of Stiles' favourite times of the year, and he had been hyped up all day, even before he got to eat any candy or chocolate. Laura and Felicity had organized to take Laura's siblings, Stiles and Scott trick or treating, since Stiles' dad and Scott's mom were both working. Laura had already turned eighteen early that September, and Felicity was mature for her age, so none of the parents had been troubled by the offer. Stiles had dressed up as Batman that year, and Scott had been Superman. Felicity had (ironically in hindsight, considering that Stiles was fairly certain that she didn't know about the Hales being werewolves) donned a red and white checked dress with a matching red cape as little red riding hood.

They had walked long and far that year, bringing in a good haul of candy and chocolates, which they split up evenly between themselves when they got back to Scott's house, where they were greeted by Melissa, who had just got home. Stiles didn't remember much more of that night, but had brushed it off, although he was fairly certain he hadn't gotten to bed under his own steam.

Here was proof that he certainly hadn't. Stiles stared in mortification at the photo of a teenaged Derek Hale...complete with vampire fangs, with a sound asleep Stiles cradled in his arms. He swallowed as he read the short caption Felicity had added.

'Nawww...Poor Stiles...or should I say, Batman. After he practically fell asleep on Scott's front porch we figured this was the best way to get him home... Derek even tucked him in for us. 31st October 2005'

Stiles knew that Derek had been almost sixteen at the time, and Stiles himself had turned nine years old the previous June. Derek looked different in the photo...less jaded and angry at the world, and Stiles felt pity well up within him, knowing that within seven months almost the entire Hale pack would be gone, leaving Laura an alpha at only 18, Derek the sole healthy beta, and Peter Hale widowed and childless, in a catatonic state in hospital with severe burns and the beginnings of insanity.

Tearing his gaze away from the photo of him and Derek, Stiles looked at the group shot that Felicity had obviously gotten someone else to take. Felicity's hands rested on Stiles and Scott's shoulders, and Laura had an arm slung around Felicity's shoulders, with the Hale Siblings around them. Cora was the youngest of the Hales...Stiles remembered her from school, although she had been a year above him. There were also another two boys, and another girl. One of the boys was older than Derek, but younger than Laura, and the other boy and the girl were twins, aged between Derek and Cora. Stiles wiped at his face, surprised to find tears on his cheeks. It was difficult, looking at the young people in the photo, most of them, younger than he was, and knowing that they would be dead within a year of the photo being taken.

Seeing the faces, and how happy they all were, only made him hate Kate and Gerard Argent even more. Gerard might not have been directly involved in the Hale fire, but he had been the one who had encouraged Kate to be ruthless. He had been the one to create the monster that Kate had become in her desire to kill werewolves.

Stiles slowly kept going through the album, until he reached a photo taken on the day Felicity graduated, and there was a photo of Laura. Stiles swallowed at the difference seven and a half months made. Before Laura had looked bright, bubbly and confident. At her graduation she looked pale, sick and exhausted, with deep dark shadows beneath her eyes and none of the energy she had once possessed. She looked like a completely different person, and if it wasn't for Felicity's use of captions, then Stiles might have mistaken her for someone else.

Stiles swallowed as he felt his stomach roll at the memory of what Laura's body had looked like in the grave that Derek had dug. Stiles had begged his father not to mention Stiles' involvement in the discovery of Laura's body to Felicity, although he knew that she knew her high school best friend was dead...he had a feeling Derek might have been the one to tell her, because she had already known when Stiles' dad had tried to break the news to her.

Flicking back through the book Stiles found the picture of him and Derek again, unable to tear his eyes away from it. The younger Stiles in the photo looked very relaxed and comfortable in the teenaged Derek's arms, and Stiles wondered if Derek knew of this photo's existence, while at the same time Stiles was grateful that Scott wasn't aware of its existence.

Neither he nor Derek would ever hear the end of it if any of the other members of the pack found out about the photo. Scott, Jackson and Isaac would laugh hysterically for days, Lydia and Allison would coo over how sweet it was and pinch Stile's cheeks, and Peter...Stiles shuddered to think what HE would do...or say.. In the photo Stiles had his head resting on Derek's shoulder, nose pressed up against the werewolf's neck, while Derek held him close, cradling him like a baby. Stiles looked tiny in Derek's arms, at least two years younger than he was supposed to be. Stiles had been small for his age up until he had a growth spurt when he was thirteen, and in the dark days following his mother's death eating had become less of a priority for him, much to the distress of his father and Felicity.

Stiles jumped when he heard a key being put into the lock of the apartment's door, and he glanced at his watch. Two hours had passed, and Felicity was obviously home from work. He watched as the door was opened, and Felicity hurried through, before closing and relocking the door behind her.

"Hi Stiles," She greeted cheerfully, "did you have a good day...what's wrong, you look like you've been crying?" Felicity put down her bag and her tablet on a table and rushed over to Stiles, sitting down beside him and pulling him into a hug. Stiles carefully began to shift the photo album out of his lap, hoping that Felicity wouldn't notice what he had been doing, but a small hand wrapping gently around his wrist stopped his movemenets.

"What's up?" she asked.

Stiles shrugged, "Just looking at some old photos...I didn't remember us spending so much time with the Hales."

Felicity ran her fingers through Stiles' hair, noticing that it was longer than she had ever seen it since before their mother got sick.

"Laura and I were best friends...and you needed the distraction. Laura's family was huge...and very distracting...and you seemed to enjoy it...even though you and Cora didn't really get on as well as Laura and I hoped."

"I remember the night of the fire. Dad took us both up to the house when he got the call, so you could be there for Laura...there was smoke everywhere." Stiles told Felicity, who nodded sadly.

"I know, Stiles...I...I have nightmares about it, even now...the same thing happening to you and John...being trapped and not being able to get out...suffocating in all that smoke...dying in the flames."

"I do as well," Stiles admitted, being honest. Just after the Hale fire he had been plagued by nightmares about things (and people he knew) burning, but then his overactive mind had moved on to other fears...up until Stiles was responsible for Peter Hale erupting into flames. He had, after all, been the one who had thought up the idea of using fire against the formerly burned wolf (although Lydia did get credit for being the one to give him the idea).

"What brought this on?" Felicity asked, curious about what brought on Stiles' sudden interest in the Hales.

"Derek...he...he's back in Beacon Hills...he has been since Laura died. We...we're kind of friends. Sometimes Scott and a few other kids and I hang around in the woods near the Hale house with him...but it's cool...we're not in trouble or anything." Stiles babbled. Felicity's eyebrows rose.

'You...you hang out with Derek Hale...does your dad know about this."

"He knows that we sort of know each other"

"Does he know that you are kind of friends and that you hang together in the reservation where his sister died and numerous other people were mauled to death by a mountain lion?"

"Not exactly," Stiles admitted sheepishly.

"Are you on drugs?" Felicity said, "because if you are I am going to be so disappointed, Stiles. You know how dangerous drugs are. This is bad...this is worse than Thea...you're barely 16 years old, Stiles. What is it, Heroin? Marijuana? Meth? Please tell me it's not Vertigo. Who knows what any of those would do when combined with your Adderal."

"I'm not on drugs, God." Stiles retorted, "we just...hang out...run around like idiots...you know, teenage stuff."

"And I thought Oliver was crap at lying." Felicity sighed, dropping her head back against the back of the couch.

"I'm not lying...I am not on drugs, Felicity," Stiles argued.

"Then why are you lying. You lying so much is why John sent you here, isn't it? You admitted to lying to him about who your friends are. I know it's difficult...especially with everything that's been happening in Beacon Hills crimes wise...I know he's busy and that he isn't around much, but he's there for you...you know that."

Stiles nodded and dropped his eyes looking at his lap, guilt coursing through him. He wished he could tell his dad the truth, but it was too dangerous. His dad would get involved, even more than he was already as the Sherriff, and Stiles worried that his dad would be hurt, or killed, because of his knowledge. It was best for him to be safe and not know, even if it meant he was disappointed in Stiles. Another part of Stiles also knew that it wasn't his secret to tell. If his father was told, it would have to be Derek or Scott that told him that werewolves were real.

"I'm sorry, Stiles...I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did...I'm just worried about you...John is too. I...I get that you're growing up, and that you want to look grown up...I know that you've looked after John since I left and made sure he ate healthy and all that, but you need to talk to someone, and maybe it needs to be someone who isn't related to you."

"You're sending me to a psychologist?' Stiles asked in shock. Sure, his dad had sent him to the school councillor, but he hadn't expected Felicity to do the same.

"No...no, nothing like that...you and I have had enough of those to last a lifetime...you and I...we've been invited out to dinner by two of the guys I work with. Um...probably should mention that one of them is Oliver Queen, but yeah, they're good guys, and if you need to do, I don't know, male bonding things, well, I think they would be okay with that."

Stiles was staring at Felicity in shock, his brown eyes wide, and his mouth hanging open, "You work with Oliver Queen?" he asked.

"Well...I do work at Queen Consolidated...what do you think?"

"But, like...you know Oliver Queen, as in, one of the richest men in the country? As in, heir to one of the richest families in the country, as in, the guy who lived on a deserted island for five years after the boat accident that killed his father...that Oliver Queen, who also happens to be friends with you?"

Felicity laughed, "Well, yes,"

"How did that happen?"

"He needed me to fix his laptop one day not long after he got back, and now I'm his IT girl or if he wants someone to look something up for him...you know, the whims of the rich and famous."

"Um...I didn't really pack anything nice to wear," Stiles admitted.

Felicity smiled reassuringly, "It's okay...we're just going to a diner. Diggle...the other guy, who is Oliver's bodyguard, his sister in law works there...they make seriously good curly fries."

Stiles' ears perked up at the mention of his favourite food.

"Curley fires?" he asked, licking his lips.

"At least it will be something to brag about in front of Jackson and Lydia," Felicity reasoned with a smile. Stiles laughed.

"Lydia will chuck a fit,": he agreed, "although...I've kind of realised that I'm not, you know, in love with her. We're friends now...she's kind of a bit like you, you know, my sort of sister slash friend...does that make sense?"

"I know what you mean," Felicity nodded."So, are we okay?"

Stiles nodded, and got to his feet, putting the photo albums away.

"So...when do we have to be at this diner with curly fries?" he asked with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver spotted Felicity and a lanky teen as they approached the diner, and his mind immediately began assessing the teenager. He was smaller than Roy, both in height and in build, but the presence of half healed injuries on his face indicated that Felicity's baby brother had been in a fight semi recently. Oliver's quick eyes noticed the way the teenager moved...flighty, vigilant, close to Felicity so that he could protect her within a moment's notice...it was enough to put Oliver on alert. The kid obviously had reason to be concerned, but it might be something completely innocent, like being a small town kid in the city for the first time...especially with the crime rate being as high as it was at the moment.

Still, the pair reached the diner safely, and Oliver waved from the booth he was in. Felicity smiled when she spotted him, and led the way over, the kid trailing behind her, looking around curiously, and obviously making a conscious effort to not be caught staring at Oliver.

"Hey Felicity," Oliver greeted with a grin, rising out of his seat and shaking her hand politely.

Felicity beamed, "Hi Oliver,"' she greeted. "Um, Stiles, this is Oliver Queen. Oliver, this is my baby brother Stiles." She added, introducing the two males to one another. Stiles bit his lip insecurely and shook hands with Oliver.

"Hi," Oliver greeted with a gentle smile, "Are you enjoying your summer in Starling city so far?"

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Queen, Um...yeah...Kind of spent most of it on Felicity's couch watching movies, but it's been good...nice and quiet." Stiles stammered as he slid into the booth, claiming the window seat, "No schoolwork though, which is great." Stiles added with a sheepish grin as Felicity sat beside him, with Oliver opposite them, with space fir Diggle, who Oliver could see talking to Carly.

"Mr. Queen is my dad...you can call me Oliver, Stiles. What's your favourite movie that you've seen so far?" Oliver asked, using his limited prior experience of normal teenagers (meaning teenagers whose parents were not members of the elite social circle of Starling City) to engage in small talk with the teen. Stiles beamed, and Oliver mentally patted himself on the back. Obviously the right question to ask Stiles in order to get him to talk.

"Avengers...I've read Comic books since I could read, and I've always liked the Avengers. When i was younger I liked Iron man the best, because i thought it was awesome how Tony Stark built his suit and the arc reactor in his chest, and how he has all this high tech stuff... but now, after watching the movie, Hawkeye is so my favourite."

Oliver choked on his drink at the teen's comment, and Felicity struggled to hide her snort of amusement. Even though he'd been living on an island for five years Oliver had still seen the Avengers film (Theah had made him watch it within a month of his return), and knew full well who Hawkeye was, and what he was known for.

"Really...why?" he asked once he had regained his breath.

"Because he's the human one...the one with natural talent and not just a biochemical boost. I mean, the Black Widow got pumped full of drugs when she was younger as part of the Red Room program, although it's never mentioned in any of the marvel movies. I mean, she's technically older than Hawkeye, Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, she just doesn't look it becase of all the drugs the red room gave her...she's like, immortal. Steve Rogers obviously got the Super Soldier Serum, Tony Stark has the Iron man suit, Thor is a God out of Norse mythology and therefore isn't human, and Bruce Banner was exposed to the Gamma radiation, giving him the ability to turn into the hulk. You take all of that away, and they're normal people. Hawkeye, though...he's a member of the team, and yet he doesn't have that boost. If all the others lost their powers for some reason, they'd be reasonably helpless, but Hawkeye would still be able to kick the bad guy's ass. Add that to the fact that his primary weapon is a bow and arrow, which is awesome, even though it's a really old weapon bows and arrows are still cool...and the fact that Hawkeye is so good at it just adds to how cool he is, because it's a lot harder than it looks...trust me."

"You've used a bow and arrow before?" Oliver kept his surprise concealed, instead putting off an air of Curiosity.

Stiles shrugged, "One of my friends...she...she does archery...She won a few state championships and things when she was younger, and she gave me a few lessons on the basics...I'm not very good though. Who is your favourite Avenger?"

Oliver blinked, thrown off by the question, and he had to think back to the long carefree days of his youth when he and Tommy would lounge around and read comics."

"Iron Man," He said, not missing the similarities between his story, and the back-story of Tony Stark. Both obscenely wealthy, both had reshaped themselves during a dangerous situation, and then afterwards they had both tried to save the world, hiding behind another identity. The only difference was that Oliver's alternative identity was a secret, and Oliver was nowhere near as smart as Tony Stark was supposed to be. The look on Stiles' and Felicity's faces showed that they were not surprised by his response.

"I'm more of a Thor fan, myself. That scene in Thor when Chris Hemsworth takes his shirt off...oh my God, I could stare at that all day," Felicity put in, before she snapped her mouth shut and a blush covering her cheeks as she realised what she had said. Oliver quirked his eyebrow at her, and she ducked her gaze.

Stiles closed his eyes, "I didn't need that mental picture...thank you for scarring me for life." He told Falsity.

"I wasn't the one who got on my sibling's computer and looked up porn." Felicity fired back. It was Stiles' turn to blush and duck his head sheepishly, before he glance sideways at Oliver..

"Never touch Felicity's computers," Stiles told Oliver seriously, "It gets scary...trust me."

Oliver grinned and leaned back in his chair. It was then that Diggle joined them, sitting down next to Oliver.

"Ah, you must be Stiles," he greeted. Stiles nodded, going quiet again in the presence of a different person.

"Stiles this is John Diggle, Oliver's bodyguard and a friend of mine." Felicity told her brother, who relaxed a little knowing that Diggle was his sister's friend. Carly chose that moment to approach and get their orders, smiling at Stiles until he gave her a smile back as he ordered 'what he's been told are the best curly fries in the city.'

Felicity had blushed at that, while Carly had beamed at the complement before bustling away to put their respective orders in.

"So...Stiles...how's school going...Felicity tells us you've very smart."

"Schools...okay...I guess. I'm not there at the moment, which is good. I get good grades, which keeps dad happy, even though I have Harris as a teacher...which sucks. He hates me," he told them nonchalantly, "I'm not as smart as Lydia, but most of my teachers agree that I'm the second smartest in our year...which is good. I think Lydia would beat me up if I got better marks than her...so I'm happy with second." Stiles babbled.

"Do you play any sports?" Diggle asked, and out of the corner of his eye Oliver saw Felicity nod encouragingly...obviously sports was another safe topic.

Stiles beamed, "I play Lacrosse for the school. We won our championship game, and it was awesome...ok, I might have got beaten up by the other team afterwards...but it was still awesome. It was the first time i got to play in an actual game, and I played really well...not so much at first, but in the second half of the game I got better. I scored three goals, and everyone was so excited about it...Dad... Lydia...Scott...Even coach was excited...I think he was crying at one point."

"Sounds like you were the hero," Oliver said with a smile, but the way that Stiles' face fell after the comment made the smile fade.

"Not really. Scott and Jackson are the heroes...and Danny. They're the ones that got us into the championship game. I just sat on my backside on the sidelines, watching. The coach only let me play in the championship game because it was me or Greenberg, and apparently I suck marginally less than him."

Oliver couldn't help but note the self depreciating tone in Stiles' voice. He recognized it as the voice of someone who was used to never being enough, and was trying to accept that they would never be enough for those around them. It was something that had plagued his own youth, and Tommy's even more notably. It was one of the reasons they had acted out so much when they were about Stiles' age.

There were definitely similarities between Stiles and Tommy's lives. They had both lost their mothers at a young age, and Oliver remembered the previous Christmas Felicity mentioning that her step dad was a workaholic who was devoted to his job and spent more time at work than was considered to be healthy.

"Lacrosse...interesting choice of sport...not football." Diggle commented.

Stiles snorted scathingly, "Lacrosse is far rougher," he told them, "even at high school level...but Beacon Hills high has always favoured Lacrosse over football...it just means that sometimes we need to travel further to get to our matches."

"Once of the schools I went to had a lacrosse team...I was on it, until I got kicked out of the school." Oliver admitted, causing the other three occupants at the table to look at him in surprise.

"You played lacrosse?...I can't picture your mother approving of that, given the injury rate." Diggle commented. Oliver shrugged. His mother had been against his joining the team, but his father had supported him, even attending a few games, despite his busy schedule.

"Wow...I learn something new about you every day. Trust me, I went to a few matches...I know how brutal it could be...one of the guys I went to school with broke his leg in two places, and that was just in practise." Felicity commented, obviously impressed.

"Were you any good?" Stiles asked, "and its okay, you can tell, me, because I stink usually, I completely fluked those goals that I scored."

"I never scored more than once in a game, and to be honest I didn't train very hard, so I didn't improve with time...I kind of drove the coach nuts because I didn't put in any effort." Oliver told Stiles

"I think all coaches are nuts...I mean, my coach gives us the speech from Independence day before every major match, just because it's his favourite movie."

Diggle and Oliver laughed as Carly brought over their food, and they all ate, as it had been awhile since any of them ate, for various reasons. Felicity had spent her lunch break working and talking to Oliver and Diggle, Oliver didn't eat more than a light snack in the middle of the day, and Diggle followed Oliver's lead.

"Sorry, but I'm curious...Stiles...where did that name come from?" Diggle asked. Felicity and Stiles both smiled.

"It's mom's fault, actually," Stiles said, "She wanted to name me after her dad...apparently they were really close up until he died before Felicity was born...the only problem is that it's the most impossible name to pronounce in the world...so mom, Dad and Felicity decided to nickname me Stiles, since my last name is Stilinski. Now I never get called by my real name."

"Really...try us. It can't be that bad." Oliver said, up for a challenge. Felicity was ready, and she slid a napkin with Stiles' real name written on it across the table. Oliver and Diggle looked at it.

"Seriously?" Oliver asked after a few silent attempts at sounding the word out

"Yep..." Stiles nodded proudly.

"How do you even pronounce that?" Diggle asked

"It's not worth the effort...Stiles is so much easier...I don't really know what mom was thinking when she decided on giving him that name." Felicity said, sipping her drink.

"What did your dad think?" Diggle asked.

"He was that in love with mom that he didn't care." Felicity smiled in reply, "although he might have been the one who decided we needed a nickname...Now tell me Stiles, are those curly fries as good as the ones back home?""

Stiles paused before putting another one in his mouth, eating it slowly, with a thoughtful look on his face. Oliver was forcibly reminded of watching his mother taste testing wines.

"Not quite," Stiles finally decided, "But they are still really good. Nothing can beat the Curley fries from back home...number two ranked on my list easily"

"That's fair enough, nothing beats the food from back home," Diggle said with a grin. And Felicity and Stiles both nodded, smiling in agreement.

TW/A

Oliver was quiet as he trained in his underground lair, lost in his own thoughts as he worked on his upper body strength. He had failed the Glades, failed Tommy, and he knew that he had to work harder...push himself more, to fix the problems caused by Tommy's dad and his own mother. It wouldn't bring back everyone that had died, but Oliver hoped that it would ease the burning feeling of guilt that rages in his chest.

From the sidelines, Diggle watched, leaning against Felicity's desk. Felicity had gone back home after dinner with her little brother, so the computers were off and unattended.

"Felicity's brother seems like a good kid." Diggle offered in way of conversation. Oliver said nothing in response, but Diggle saw the minute twitch in Oliver's facial features.

"You don't think so?" he asked curiously. Oliver sighed, finally stopping his workout, catching the towel that Diggle threw at him in one hand and rubbing perspiration off his face and arms.

"I think he's a good kid, but I'm worried about what he's going to do this summer. Felicity can't take time off work, not even if I got involved...the IT department is insanely busy at the moment, and Stiles isn't the sort of kid that is going to spend all his time in a apartment...you saw him tonight...he was constantly moving, even if it was just tapping his fingers on his leg. It's been two days and I could tell that it was getting to him. Starling City isn't safe."

"You're not worried about the other kids...Roy and Thea aren't that much older."

"Roy grew up in the Glades...and I know that to a certain extent he can look after himself, and Thea's spending her summer either at home, where there is a lot of security, or helping Laurel, and Detective Lance has Laurel is almost under 24 hour police surveillance. Thea is probably safer now than she was before the earthquake. Stiles has never been to a big city like this before. Beacon Hills is tiny in comparison...He's the son of the Sherriff, so he probably knows pretty much everyone in town. Starling City is a lot more dangerous than Beacon Hills ever could be.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Diggle commented, turning around and flicking on a monitor, before bringing up a file on the screen. Oliver frowned, approaching the computers, before leaning over so he could see.

"Crime summary for Beacon Hills in the last 12 months. I don't know about you, but for a town that size, it looks a bit excessive."

Oliver frowned as he read the statistics. For a town its size, Beacon Hills had a high crime rate...it was no wonder that Felicity's stepfather was kept busy.

"Can you bring up a list of witnesses to each event?" Oliver asked, and Diggle nodded, tapping on a few keys.

"Maybe we should focus on fixing Starling City before we go off on some mission to save some random town in North California?" Diggle suggested as the new data was brought up on screen. Both men scanned the screen with their eyes.

'Shit," Diggle cursed noticing a certain name that popped up very regularly.

"I was hoping that wasn't going to happen...I don't think being beaten up by the other lacrosse team is what happened to him."

"You think he's involved in something...What, gang related?"

"Could be," Oliver shrugged, "but I'm going to find out...you still think he's a good kid?"

Diggle looked at the list of incidents Stiles' had been listed as a witness for.

"I don't know...I don't think he's a bad kid, but he could have got involved in the wrong crowd."

Oliver nodded, "We need to get to the bottom of this. If it is gang related...or something similar, it might follow him here...and that puts Felicity in danger."

""I'll have a look at the police reports; see if I can find anything useful. What are you going to do?" Diggle asked. Oliver frowned thoughtfully.

"I think I have an idea...I need to visit someone and ask a few questions first though."


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver shifted his feet after he knocked on the door, hoping that Laurel's dad wasn't visiting his daughter. Oliver had kept a respectful distance since the earthquake and Tommy's death and the subsequent funeral, and Laurel had thrown herself into her word, rebuilding the CRNI with Thea and the rest of the staff, putting in long shifts. Thea had kept Oliver informed of how Laurel was doing, but there was no way he would be able to do this through Thea, or even over the phone...it would be too insensitive, even for him.

He heard the door unlock and open as far as the chain would allow.

"Oliver," Laurel greeted, "I haven't seen you around much."

"I've been busy rebuilding the nightclub and thinking about my mom's court case, and everything...well...it's been a bit chaotic. I'm sorry I haven't been a very good friend for you when you needed one."

"It's okay...I know you and Tommy weren't talking when...when he died, but...but he was your friend too. You needed time to process what had happened. Tommy was the same when you went missing."

"Yeah...I guess so," Oliver conceded.

"Do you want to come in?" Laurel asked.

"I don't want to impose," Oliver started before Laurel shook her head with a smile.

"No, it's okay, I was just going to watch some TV...get my mind off things. You're welcome to join me if you want."

"Ok then," Oliver said, stepping over the threshold. Laurel walked over to her couch, and Oliver followed her, sitting down stiffly

"You OK, Oliver?" Laurel asked, concern on her face.

"Yeah...I just...I want to ask you a favour, and I don't know how you're going to react to it."

"How about you ask, and I'll try not to react."

"Ok...there's this kid...he's young, I met him through a friend, and I'm worried that he might be involved in the wrong group of people back home. He's only visiting Starling City, and he's staying with his sister who works long days, and he's been forbidden from going out on his own, he lives too close to the Glades, so he's really bored, and I want to, I don't know, help him get his feet back under him"

"How noble of you," Laurel smiled, "What does that have to do with me?" she asked.

"Do you happen to know what happened to Tommy's Lacrosse gear?"

TW/A

Stiles beamed when he saw Scott's face on his laptop screen, thrilled to see his friend for the first time in what felt like years...even though it had only been a few days. Stiles would have skyped Scott earlier, but it had been the full moon, and with Jackson still being very new to the process, Erica and Boyd still having trouble controlling the shift on a full moon, and Peter being obviously untrustworthy, Derek, Scott and Isaac had been busy trying to prepare Jackosn for what he was about to experience. Now though, the full moon was over, and Stiles felt no guilt at all for contacting his friend.

"Hey," Stiles greeted as Scott smiled happily at him through the screen..

"Stiles...how's life in Starling City? How's Felicity going...I hope you're not using her laptop."

"Dude, it was once, and I learned my lesson well. I will never again touch my sister's computer," Stiles laughed, remembering the occasion when , during a summer break from college, Stiles had borrowed Felicity's computer without asking. Never before had his sister been so scary as she had been that day. Stiles had learned that you never got between Felicity Smoak and her computer...not if you valued your life anyway.

"So...what's it like?" Scott asked.

"It's bigger than Beacon Hills...I mean, the area that got affected by the earthquake...it's called the Glades. That part of the city alone is about the size of Beacon Hills. I can see it if I look out the window. Apparently Felicity didn't get much damage here though...just a broken cup or two."

"My mom heard that there's been a lot of looting and stuff going on...I'm pretty sure she thinks your dad was a idiot to send you there with it being like it is...although I think she can see his point of view, considering he doesn't know, you know..."

"Don't say it...Remember, I'm living with someone who makes what Danny can do with computers look like kiddie level baby stuff."

"Right."

"Speaking of...stuff, how are the others going...was Jackson a pain in the ass when, you know...things happened?"

"It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it did get a bit hairy for a bit there...no pun intended, especially when Isaac's control isn't so great, and Erica and Boyd had trouble too...Derek thought it might have to do with what happened with Gerard."

"How have they been going?"

"Ok. Derek's been keeping them close, and Isaac never leaves Derek's shadow. He's scared that he'll be next, and, well, with his background...you know...with his dad, you can see why. Chris and Derek are working on a new pact between us and them...basically we stay out of each other's way as long as we don't kill anyone and Derek eases up on the biting anything that moves."

"How are you and Allison going?" Stiles asked in a gentle tone. Scott beamed, and Stiles inwardly relaxed. If Scott had been left alone for the summer with no Stiles and no Allison to occupy him, Stiles had no idea what his best friend would do...probably mope and practise pulling puppy faces in the mirror.

"We're patching things up...although she's keeping her distance from the others. After everything that's happened this last year I think she and her dad are retiring from the active hunting business. Derek doesn't trust either of them though."

"Sounds rough," Stiles winced, "What about Lydia?"

"She stayed with Jackson up until he started to shift, then Derek made her leave for her own protection. I think she's trying to learn as much about...things...as she can so she can help Jackson transition. She's been pushing Derek to rebuild or renovate the house so that it's more comfortable and everyone can stay over, because she refuses to stay at the train yard or Derek's loft, and Isaac says the loft is Squishy with just him and Derek staying there. If the whole pack comes over it's not going to work. I mean...at the moment the pack has six you know, people like me, and four humans, plus Peter if he pulls his head out of his butt. Oh, get this! I've got news that you missed out on. Jackson has brought Danny into the...group.. He was all like, 'if Scott gets to have his little friend as a part of this, then I do too.' You should have seen Danny's face when Jackson introduced him to Derek. He was all like 'so, I'm guessing you're not Stiles' cousin'...when did you tell him that anyway?"

"I asked him to trace the message that Peter sent Allison off your number...Derek was, fortunately in the room with me, and he needed to change shirt...if you get what I mean," Stiles quirked his eyebrow, and it took a minute for Scott to catch on.

"Oh My God...you pimped out Derek Hale? How the hell are you still alive?"

"I don't know...although he did slam my face into the steering wheel of my Jeep pretty hard afterwards...have you seen my dad?"

"Yeah, I saw him yesterday when he was in the car patrolling and I was coming back from training up at the Hale's house. I spoke to him for a bit, he seemed to be okay...He said he'd been eating healthy, and I couldn't smell any junk food on him."

"Good...I don't want to find out that he's been having bacon and eggs for breakfast every day, and chips or pizza for dinner...and he's not supposed to have doughnuts either."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Scott promised solemnly, "your dad will be fine."

"I'll hold you to that," Stiles frowned.

"So, have you been doing anything fun? Different?" Scott asked

"Not really...Felicity is busy with work, so when she gets home she just wants to veg out in front of the TV. I'm not allowed to leave the apartment during the day because it's too dangerous out on the streets, even during the day, according to Felicity, so I've pretty much been bored, just watching movies and stuff...you'll never guess what i did last night. You know who Oliver Queen is...the billionaire that supposedly was killed when his father's yacht sunk in a storm about six years ago, but then he got found late last year on a deserted island."

"Yeah?" Scott nodded.

"I got to have dinner with him and his bodyguard last night. Apparently Felicity helped him out with some IT stuff, and they're friends. She'd told them about me, and they wanted to meet me. It was so totally awesome. You can't tell Jackson and Lydia though; I want to see the looks on their faces when they find out. I can't wait."

Scots eyes were nearly popping out of his head, "that is so awesome," he exclaimed, "You met Oliver Queen...what was he like?"

"Really polite and suave, like James Bond...Sean Connery James Bond, not Daniel Craig James Bond, but at the same time he was easy to talk to, and he was really interested in what i had to say. In some ways he kind of reminded me of Derek...only...nicer."

Scott snorted, "I'm sorry, but I seriously can't imagine you and Oliver Queen having dinner together. What did you guys talk about?"

"Believe it or not, movies. He asked me what my favourite movie is, and I told him the Avenges, and we talked about our favourite superheroes. His was predictable."

"Iron Man?" Scott suggested and Stiles nodded, before he sighed and shook his head, rolling his eyes at Oliver Queen's predictable taste in superheroes.

"I wasn't sure which one I expected more...Iron man or Black Widow...some people have no imagination."

"Sounds like you had fun," Scott said, and Stiles caught the slightly hurt catch in Scott's voice.

"Not as much fun as I would have if I was back at home. I miss you guys heaps. I'm missing out on watching Derek beat Jackson up as part of training...I'm missing chatting with Lydia about all this crazy stuff that may or may not be real...I'm missing out on Isaac following you and Derek around like a lost little puppy...I'm missing out on Derek being all...well, Derek...I'm missing out on spending time with my Catwoman and her silent stoic companion...I'm missing out on Danny realising that Derek wasn't actually my cousin...I'm missing out on Peter, well, no, I'm not missing him at all, and you...I'm missing you being there...being my best friend in the whole world...the one I can talk to about pretty much everything, the one who I can trust despite all the crazy stuff that goes on in our lives. When...when I'm here I'm away from you all, and I hate it. I should be happy because I'm with Felicity, and we haven't seen each other in years, but all I want to do is go back home." Stiles sniffed, and realised his cheeks were moist, and he hastily wiped them away, hoping Scott didn't see the tears that had rolled down his face..

"I know, Stiles...It...it's not the same without you. Derek keeps going on about how quiet it is, but he misses you...Allison and Lydia miss you...Isaac misses you...Erica and Boyd miss you...I think Jackson even misses you. Danny wasn't involved before you left, so he just wishes you were around to be someone else non...someone else normal to talk to. How are you coping with...everything?"

Stiles tensed. Scott had always known that Stiles was prone to nightmares, and they had only gotten worse after Scott had been bitten. Few people would know as well as Scott how Stiles had been affected by everything that had happened.

"Sleep...sleep doesn't really happen much these days. I'm not doing anything, so I'm not getting tired, and when I finally do pass out, all I can see is Gerard Argent looming over me, or the Kanima about to rip my head off, or my dad, dead, or you, dead, or Felicity dead, or Derek dead, or Lydia...or any of the others...and they're all dead or dying, and I can't make it stop." Stiles swallowed and forced himself to breath, feeling the beginnings of a panic attack stirring within him.

Scott frowned, "Stiles...breath...everyone is alright...you're alright...just breath, in and out," Scott exaggerated his breathing so Stiles would be able to hear it through the laptop speakers, and Stiles wordlessly began to try and copy him. It wasn't as effective as leaning his head against the chest of the other person, but it still worked, and Stiles felt the tightness in his chest loosen up.

"Has that been happening often?" Scott asked once he could tell that Stiles had calmed down.

Stiles shrugged, "It's felt like I've been on the edge of a panic ever since that night at the police station," he admitted, "Ms. Morrell said that I'm showing signs of PTSD...and that was before I got beaten up by a 90 year old." Stiles snapped his mouth shut, having not intended on telling Scott that little piece of information.

"You didn't need to know that though. You and Derek and the others have way bigger issues to face."

The look of concern on Scott's face deepened, "would Felicity let you come home early?" he asked.

Stiles snorted, "No...she knows that something's up with me. We had a fight the other day...she thought I was on drugs, like illegal drugs, not just my Adderal, she knows something is up...she's taking dad's side in this. She thinks I should stay and...get clean, or whatever."

"Stiles...you can't keep trying to get through this on your own," Scott argued, "You should be back here, where you can talk to people...me...Derek...Lydia...hell, even Jackson. No-one's going to think any less of you...these past few months...all of this year since I got bitten, it's been hell. You should be here trying to deal with the rest of us, not in Starling City with no-one who knows the truth about what we've been through."

"What do you think I should do, Scott...run off...get myself back to Beacon Hills, and face the prospect of my dad sending me right back here...permanently? He's so angry with me at the moment...he's so disappointed in me...I can't make it worse...I need him, Scott. He's all I've got. Him and Felicity and you and the others. I can't handle it when he's not talking to me. I'm...I'm scared that something will happen and I'll never see him again."

"I know Stiles...I'll look after him for you. I promise. You just...you just look after yourself, okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," Stiles nodded.

"Look, I've gotta go, I've got training up at Derek's house with Erica, Boyd, Jackson and Isaac."

"Tell them I say hi...and annoy Derek for me."

"Of course," Scott smiled. Stiles tapped on his computer and ended the conversation, before leaning back against the couch, before he shut down his laptop and slid it safely back in its bag. He jumped, startled, when his phone rang, and he picked it up, checking the caller id, half expecting it to be Lydia or Derek, checking on him. There was no way Scott would be able to keep his mouth shut about the troubles Stiles was having, but instead it was Felicity. He sighed and answered the phone.

"Why do you have nothing to do at this place?" he asked

"Hello, nice to hear your voice to. I thought you had better manners than that. I have someone here who wants to talk to you."

"Me...ok?" Stiles frowned, flopping back so he was lying down on the couch. There was some rustling, as if Felicity's phone was being handed over.

"Hey Stiles, It's Oliver Queen.

"Mr. Queen, sir." Stiles stammered, sitting bolt upright, "um, hi."

"Call me Oliver...how's it going...bored?"

"A little" Stiles admitted, "I skyped with my friend just before, and now I have no plans for the rest of my day...I've even already done my holiday homework and my holiday reading, and re-organised Felicity's books into order according to date of publication...don't tell her that though... she'll be pissed."

"Um...you're on speaker." Felicity's voice came down the line

"Oh crap" Stiles ran his fingers through his hair, "I'll fix it up"

"I'll appreciate it,"

"Tell me though...why do you have 50 Shades of Grey? I never thought you would be the sort to favour that sort of...entertainment. "

"Um...they were a gift...don't even think about reading those books, Stiles," Felicity stammered. Stiles grinned, imagining the blush that would be on his sister's face at that precise moment.

"And stop smiling, I can tell you are, you evil little brother."

"Yes Felicity," Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," Oliver said, although Stiles could hear the amusement in his voice, "I was wondering if you had any plans for tomorrow?"

"No...no plans," Stiles said.

"Good...you want to come and practise Lacrosse with me?"

Stiles choked, "Uh, where...I'm on house arrest here."

"It's only when I'm not there." Felicity protested.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you're going to be able to do a lot if we get mugged, Felicity" Stiles pointed out sarcastically 'I probably have more muscle than you...and I have little to no muscle whatsoever.".

"Up at my house...lots of space and it's fully fenced...I promise you won't get mugged."

"I don't have any of my gear though."

"I've been able to find a second set...are you interested?"

Stiles bit his lip, hesitating, before he shrugged.

"Eh, why not...Coach did say we should practise over the summer and the off season."

"Good. I'll see you at 11 then...I'll get Dig to come and get you at ten thirty."

"Um okay," Stiles said.

"See you then...bye."

"Okay, Bye" Stiles said, before he hung up. He looked around the empty apartment in confusion.

'Okay, what the hell just happened?" he asked the air, but he got no response. 


	5. Chapter 5

Stiles wasn't bothering to even attempt to keep his mouth shut as he was driven up the driveway to the Queen Mansion. Growing up in Beacon Hills, the two nicest houses had belonged to Lydia's family, and to Jackson's, but they both paled in comparison to the sheer size and opulence of the Queen family estate. Stiles was terrified that he was misaim a ball, and would smash a window or something. 

"A bit over the top for us normal folk, huh Stiles?" Diggle asked from the front seat. Stiles coughed.

'Just a little, "he agreed, "Lydia and Jackson would literally die if they knew where I was right now."

"Fans of the Queen family?" Diggle asked curiously.

"Two of the people I hang out with, 'Stiles corrected, "Lydia's dad is a plastic surgeon who works on famous people in L.A, and Jackson's parents are both wealthy Lawyers. Their family's are the richest in the county...no match for people like Scott and I...although Danny's got a nice house too, but he is the Mayor's son, so you know...with great power comes great responsibility, and a awesome house, apparently "

Diggle snorted, "Not for me, thanks. I like my job just fine."

"Tell me about it. I wouldn't swap my life for any of theirs." Stiles agreed. It was true. At least Stiles knew his parents loved one another, til death do us part, even though his mother was gone, a stark contrast to Lydia's parents, who were always fighting and using Lydia agasint each other. Jackson was adopted, and Stiles knew that his parents weren't all that attentive (except when it came to putting restraining orders on teenagers that thier son alledged had kidnapped him)...there was no way Stiles wanted Jackson's life. The only reason Stiles didn't want Danny's life was because the other teen spent so much time with Jackson.

Stiles turned in his seat to look at Felicity, who was smiling at him. Apparently Oliver had asked her to do some work on his computers at home so he would able to work from the mansion, instead of commuting into the city, so she was coming with them. Stiles wasn't sure about how he felt about Oliver making Felicity work on the weekend, but she seemed okay with it, so he said nothing about it.

"Have you been here before?" he asked.

"Just the once...there was a big party and i got invited,"

Stiles nodded and fell silent against as the car pulled up in front of the mansion. Oliver was standing on the front steps, dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a jumper, a bag in one hand, and a pair of lacrosse sticks in the other. Felicity and Stiles both had their doors open before Diggle could get out of the car, causing him to roll his eyes, despite the rueful smile on his face.

"Hey guys," Oliver greeted, pulling Felicity in for a hug, "Thanks for coming up."

"It's no problem. Just tell me what needs doing, and I'll get started."

"Sure," Oliver said, leading them into the house. Stiles didn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what he found inside the Queen family mansion. It was all very grand, and Stiles shifted slightly, not feeling overly comfortable with the grandeur.

Oliver led them to a Study, with a computer set up, and Felicity immediately got to work. Stiles leading the way back out of the study, knowing how much his sister hated being watched while she worked.

"So...you feel up for some Lacrosse?" Oliver asked. He was still holding the bagand the two sticks. Stiles nodded, and Oliver beamed, handing him the bag.

'This is for you to use." He told him and Stiles set the bag down on the floor, opening it up. Inside was a full set of lacrosse padding, a helmet, gloves, and a shirt, obviously part of a uniform. Stiles cocked his head to the side in confusion (a gesture he had unconsciously picked up from Scott, he was certain) and looked up at Oliver.

"The padding belonged to my best friend. He was on the lacrosse team with me...We used to stuff around and not take it very seriously. Tommy...he would have wanted someone who was keen to get some use out of it. The shirt is one of mine from high school...don't worry; I got in washed yesterday, so it's clean.

"Um...thanks." Stiles said sheepishly.

"I'll show you where you can get changed. I'm going to get changed into something a little better suited for athletics, okay?"

"Alright," Stiles smiled, and Oliver showed him to a guest bedroom, before he vanished, obviously to his own bedroom. Stiles quickly got changed, pulling on the padding that Oliver had supplied, before putting his sweats and then pulled tOliver'sold shirt on over the top Then he looked around the room he was in, his mouth falling open at how large the room was...and how expensive everything looked.

"Wow...this is weird," he said softly to himself, before he pinched himself lightly on his arm. Nope...he wasn't dreaming. He was, seriously, about to practise Lacrosse, with Oliver Queen.

There was a soft knocking on the door, and Stiles self consciously tugged on the shirt. Even with the padding underneath it was still big on him...something he was used to. Stiles was the lightest member of the lacrosse team of Beacon Hills high, thanks to his naturally slight build. During his freshman year, when he and Scott first got on the team, the Coach had tried to reassure him, telling him that some kids bulked up easier than others, and that going through a stage of not eating after his mother had died had slowed down Stiles' growth, and that it would take a long time, if ever, for him to reach his full growth potential. At the time Stiles had taken it as an excuse to eat as much junk food as he liked without worrying about gaining weight. The craze hadn't lasted long before Stiles felt guilty for forcing his father to eat healthy, while he gorged himself, so he had resumed his ordinary diet. Still, the coach had been right...Stiles hadn't gained any weight in those few months.

"Stiles?" Oliver's voice called from the hallway outside the room Stiles was in, and he jumped, having forgotten Oliver was there.

"Yeah, I'm good." Stiles called, and Oliver opened the door.

"You ready?" he asked, passing his eyes over Stiles, checking that he was fully kitted out. Stiles nodded, picking up the gloves helmet and lacrosse stick Oliver had given him. Oliver was similarly dressed, although he wore an ordinary t-shirt over the protective padding. Stiles guessed it was because the shirt that Oliver had once worn as a teenager, even though it was large on Stiles, wouldn't go close to fitting Oliver as an adult.

Stiles Followed Oliver back outside, and away from the house, with Diggle keeping a respectful distance behind them. They eventually came to a large grassed area, well clear of any windows that could potentially be smashed by errant balls. A temporary goal had been set up at one end of the area, and someone had brought out a plastic container that Stiles guessed had some drinks in it for them.

"Wow...this is set up well." He commented.

Oliver shrugged, "when I was younger my friends and I used to play here...whatever sports we were interested in at the time...it hasn't been used since before I graduated high school, as far as I know."

Stiles put the bag down and busied himself with putting the gloves Oliver had given him on his hands. Oliver got a small container of lacrosse balls out of the bag Stiles had been carrying, before he too put on his gloves. Stiles jogged a few laps of the grassed area to warm up his muscles, knowing that he would be in a lot of trouble from his coach if he got hurt during the summer and couldn't play next year...especially when it was likely that he'd finally make first line, given his performance in the championship game..

"So, are we just practising, or is this going to turn into a game of one-on –one?" Stiles asked as he began to stretch, remembering the series of stretches Coach Finstock had drummed into them all. Oliver stretched too, but Stiles was pretty sure the older man didn't need it. He looked as limber as any of the werewolves he saw on a daily basis...including Derek.

"Maybe start off with some drills...I'm a little rusty, and see where we go from there," Oliver suggested, and Stiles nodded in agreement, finishing up his stretches. Putting on his helmet, Stiles walked out towards the middle of the grassed area, scooping up one of the balls with his lacrosse stick as he went.

"Ready?" he called to Oliver, who had pulled his own helmet on. Stiles threw the ball, and it went wide, Oliver, however, was able to move quickly to retrieve it, and he sent it back towards Stiles, who barely caught it with his net.

"So...are many of your friends on the lacrosse team with you?' Oliver asked as they passed the ball back and forward.

"Yeah...most of us are. Scott and Isaac, and Danny and Jackson are all on the team. Boyd and Derek aren't though...even though Derek was when he was in high school."

"You're friends with a guy who isn't in high school?" Oliver questioned.

Stiles nodded, "He's not much older...he's younger than Felicity," Stiles defended, "His older sister and Felicity used to be friends."

"Derek...Felicity mentioned him..not in detail, but she told me about the fire and how his sister died last year. How did you become friends?" Oliver asked...genuinely curious.

"He helped Scott and i out one time, we got lost in the woods. He scared me a bit at first, but then we spent time together, and he's actually not all that bad...he just pretends to be a badass, but deep down he's just a puppy. Losing his family like it did...it really screwed him up...he has major trust issues."

"I'm sorry to hear that...did you know Derek and his sister well...before the fire?"

"When I was little I did. Laura used to come over and help Felicity babysit Scott and I when dad and Mrs. McCall had night shift...but she and Derek left when she graduated high school, and I didn't see them again until that day in the woods when..." Stiles snapped his mouth shut, obviously having said too much. Oliver inwardly smiled. Getting this kid to talk was easy...Stiles and Felicity both had trouble thinking about things before saying them.

"Stiles?" Oliver asked, letting a little bit of concern slip into his voice. It was genuine too. The more time he spent with the kid, the more Oliver liked him. He really didn't want Stiles to be involved in anything illegal.

"You can't let Felicity know...she'll panic, but Scott and I were the ones who found the second half of Laura Hale's body."

"The second half?"

"Yeah," Stiles nodded, "Whatever killed her tore her body in half and carted off one half towards its...lair, but it didn't get the whole way. It...it wasn't a nice thing to find," Stiles shuddered at the memory, and Oliver cringed at how horrifying it would have been for Stiles to find the body of his former babysitter in the woods.

"Who is Scott, you've mentioned him a few times?" Oliver asked, trying to steer the conversation in a less traumatic direction.

"Scott is, well...Scott. He's been my best friend since we were four...he's...he's always been there. I helped him get though his parents' divorce, and he and Felicity got me through when mom died...he's my brother...not literally, not by blood, but in every other way. I don't know what I would do without him. This will be the longest we'll ever have gone without seeing one another...face to face that it...we're still skyping so I can stay up to date with what's happening at home. He's keeping an eye on my dad for me"

"Do you and Scott have many other friends? Oliver asked

"Not really, not until just under a year ago. Last September a new girl moved to Beacon Hills...Allison. Scott was smitten straight away...it was kind of pathetic. She became friends with the popular kids in our year level...Lydia, Jackson and Danny, but she still dated Scott, which kind of made us members of the popular group by default...which was weird after ten years of it being just the two of us against the world. Over the year Isaac, Erica and Boyd became friends with us too...well, sort of...and then there is Derek. They're the ones I hang out with these days. It's weird, being in such a big group...but at the same time there's something nice about it."

"These...these popular kids...they're not pressuring you into doing anything you don't want to do, are they?" Oliver asked. Stiles froze, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Oliver.

'Did my sister put you up to this?" he asked suspiciously. Oliver winced, knowing that Stiles would be on the defensive now.

"No...she thinks you need someone other than her to talk to while you're in Starling City, but I was the one who decided to make sure you weren't in anything illegal." He told Stiles honestly, not wanting to cause friction between Stiles and Felicity.

"I'm fine," Stiles shrugged, fiddling with the lacing of the lacrosse stick.

Oliver nodded, "and that's why you're moving stiffly, as if you've had ribs recently broken, or at least cracked, and your face looks as though it's recovering with a beating...one that I'm willing to bet wasn't caused by members of the Lacrosse team you guys defeated in your championship game.

Stiles blinked, and Oliver knew that he'd been right, even though he had made the observation on a whim, without any prior thought. Stiles ducked his gaze, studying the grass and shifting his feet nervously.

"Stiles...I'm going to ask you something, and i need you to be honest with me, alright?"

Stiles sighed, and then nodded, although he didn't look up from his study of the ground. Oliver took a steadying breath.

"Was your dad the one who hurt you?"

"No!" Stiles yelped, looking up at Oliver, shock and horror on his face..."What the hell? My dad would never hurt me...not like this. Dude, my dad is the best man I have ever known, and he would never do anything that would put me in danger."

"Then who did...who hurt you that badly, Stiles? One of your friends? Derek, maybe?"

"No...It wasn't them." Stiles shook his head. Oliver noticed how Stiles made no claims that his friends would never hurt him, a stark contrast to when he had been asked if his father was the one responsible. Oliver didn't know what that meant, but he made a note of it in his mind.

"Who was it then? If you tell someone...then something could be done to make sure it doesn't happen again to you, or to someone else," Oliver reasoned.

Stiles shook his head, "It doesn't matter anymore...he's gone, and he's never coming back...it's been taken care of. He's dead...natural causes, funnily enough. I got the shit kicked out of me by a cancer ridden 90 something year old man...that's why no-one knows the truth. He beats the snot out of me, less than 24 hours later he's dead from a heart attack or something like that.. It's embarrassing."

"Stiles," Oliver began, before Stiles looked at him with a pained look on his face. A look of defeat, of shame, of fear, and of reluctant acceptance. Oliver snapped his mouth shut, taking in the emotions written across Stiles' face. Stiles slowly sunk to his knees as Oliver watched, his chest heaving a little with every breath the teenager took. He remembered how Felicity had once said that Stiles was prone to panic attacks in the aftermath of his mother dying, and he swallowed nervously at the prospect of Stiles having a panic attack out here.

"All of my friends are stronger than I am...and I was the one who got beaten up by a man who was older than any of my grandparents would be if they were still alive. They all know what happened, but I can't let my dad...or Felicity, know how weak I really am. My friends already all pity me and try to protect me...I can't have my dad and Felicity being like that too."

Oliver set aside his lacrosse stick and approached the teenager slowly, cautiously, to indicate he meant no harm. Still, Stiles tensed as Oliver reached him, and Oliver dropped down to his own knees so they were on the same level. Up close, Oliver was startled to see the tears shining in Stiles' eyes. Stiles leaned wearily against Oliver's chest, and Oliver bit his lip before slowly, cautiously, putting his arms around the teenager so he was loosely hugging the teenager, with Stiles' head resting on his shoulder as the teenager struggled to control his emotions.

"What happened to you...it wasn't your fault, and it doesn't make you weak, do you understand? You're a good person, Stiles. The man who hurt you...he shouldn't have done it. He was the weak one. Bullies are always the weak ones, not the ones they attack. Bullies hurt other people just to make themselves feel more powerful," Oliver told Stiles, rubbing his back reassuringly, "and I bet none of your friends who know what happened think any less of you now than they did before...they probably think you're even stronger and braver than they are because of it."

Stiles bit his lip and nodded, "Felicity was right, you know...maybe I did need talk to someone. I hate lying to her and my dad...it's for their own good, but I hate lying and sneaking around behind their backs...not that I've been doing anything since I got here...not when I'm pretty much under house arrest. Is it actually that dangerous out there?"

Oliver didn't hesitate before nodding, "Maybe you and Felicity can go out for the day tomorrow...she can drive to a safer area and you can have a day out having a look around...but don't head out on your own when Felicity or someone else isn't there to drive you to a safe area of the city, and even then don't go anywhere alone. Felicity lives too close to the Glades to take any chances."

Stiles pouted, "This is going to be the longest summer ever," he moaned, pulling away from Oliver, who dropped his arms and shifted away from Stiles, before he got to his feet.

"Come on," he told Stiles after a lengthy pause, 'We won't play Lacrosse, you'll probably hurt those ribs even more, but we can still practise...see if you can play more than one game next year."

"Unlikely, but we may as well." Stiles shrugged, getting back up and picking up his lacrosse stick again.

"And Stiles?' Oliver added, looking back over his shoulder at the teenager as he walked back towards his lacrosse stick.

"Yeah?" Stiles asked cautiously.

'You ever need to talk or anything...you can call me."

"Er, yeah...alright...Thanks Oliver," Stiles smiled in reply. Oliver nodded.

"Alright. Not that you need it, since you're obviously much better at scoring than I am, but let's practise shooting goals."

"First to ten gets bragging rights?' Stiles challenged with a bright and slightly cocky, smile on his face. Oliver smiled in reply.

"You're on."


	6. Chapter 6

"Explain to me how you lost to a kid?' Diggle asked as he leaned against the wall of the Hood's basement lair. Oliver was working out high above him, swinging around between the metal roof supports of the basement hideaway.

"It's been a long time since I've played lacrosse, Dig," Oliver pointed out, "They didn't have lacrosse on the island."

Diggle snorted, "Yeah, But you're the spend every night running around the city chasing people on your list, and yet you were beaten by a teenage boy when you tried to see who could score ten goals first. How is that possible? Admit it, you let him win."

"It's not like I went easy on him...he's actually pretty good. Lacrosse is nothing like what I do in the evenings...aside from the violence...and I held off on that...he already has at least one cracked rib...Felicity would kill me if I hurt her little brother even more than he already is."

Diggle frowned, "You're certain?" he asked, all trace of banter gone from his voice. Oliver flipped and dropped gracefully to the ground.

"Yep...I got him to open up a bit to me. He's still hiding stuff, but I know that whatever it was that happened to him...lacrosse had nothing to do with it."

'It's not...it's not his dad, is it?" John asked. Oliver shook his head.

"I thought that to...but I don't think his dad is involved. He was talking about how all of his friends know the truth, but his family doesn't... how he hates lying to them."

"Sounds like the kid has issues...and that he's up to something illegal."

"He won't tell me what though...and I won't involve the hood in this...Stiles is too young to be doing anything to warrant getting the hoods attention.. He's younger than Thea by over two years. It would just scare him and Felicity would never forgive me if I talked to Stiles as the Hood. I don't know what he's involved in...but I don't think it will follow him here, or put Felicity in danger."

"Did he tell you anything about how he got hurt?" Diggle asked. Oliver nodded.

'He told me that he was beaten by a 90 year old man with cancer...that he lied about it to his dad because he's embarrassed by it. Apparently the guy's dead...so he must have been very sick already, considering it only happened two weeks ago."

"There is no way a 90 year old inflicted that sort of damage" Diggle frowned, "and, well, Stiles doesn't have a lot of muscle, but he should have been able to fend off someone that old and frail...unless he didn't want to hurt whoever it was."

"He might have been exaggerating about the age. For kids Stiles' age, doesn't anyone over the age of 70 automatically become a 100 year old?" Oliver didn't know if it was still the case, but he remembered joking around with Tommy and Thea about some of their elderly neighbours and their respective ages. Oliver had been convinced that old Mrs. Jenkins, who was the widowed wife of one his father's friends, was 125 years old...when in fact she had only been 68.

Diggle inclined his head thoughtfully, "sounds about right for young people." He agreed, "So what are Felicity and Stiles doing for the rest of the weekend? Are you two going to have a rematch?"

"No," Oliver smiled, "they should have some time together...Felicity has been busy with work, and it's been years since they have seen one another. I think they were going to head into the city and check out some of the sights."

"Sounds good...and what are you going to be doing."

"The vigilante has been putting a lot of time in lately...tomorrow I think I might take a leaf out of Felicity's book and spend some time with Thea...it feels like it's been too long since we just had a day of us relaxing together."

Diggle nodded in agreement, "Finding a balance is important," he told Oliver, who sighed, knowing that the balance was never going to be perfect...not in his case anyway. It always felt as though one side, either his life with his family, or his life as the vigilante, was monopolising his time, when he knew that it should be more of an even split.

Still, the conflict within him between the two sides annoyed Oliver and, not fot the first time, he wished he had never left the Island.

But even as he thought about the Island, he thought of Felicity and her shy, contagious smile, her rambling babbles and the way she gave so much to his quest to save Starling City...often volunteering to put herself in danger in order to ensure that no-one else was hurt by those the vigilante hunted.

If he had never left the island, Oliver knew that he would never have met Felicity.

TW/A

Stiles dropped heavily onto Felicity's couch with a groan, wincing as his ribs throbbed in protest at the movement. Beside him, Felicity plopped down bonelessly, leaning back against the cushions with a moan.

"I am so glad I wore sensible shoes today. These are the most comfortable shoes i have, and my feet are still killing me." She said to herself as Stiles let himself keel over onto his side, his head touching Felicity's thigh.

"I feel more tired now than I do after doing suicide runs at training," Stiles added, wincing as his legs cramped.

"I have work tomorrow...at least you can sleep in," Felicity protested, poking Stiles in the back. Stiles smiled cheekily up at her, happy, despite being so tired. It had been a good day...a good weekend. After spending the afternoon at the Queen mansion on Saturday, Felicity and Stiles had gotten some Pizza on the way home and had a movie night, re-watching all of their favourite Disney movies from their childhood. Then, after a lazy start, they had gotten up, got dressed, and headed out into the city. They had breakfast at a little cafe near the Queen Consolidated tower, before Felicity became tour guide for the day, escorting Stiles to all the places she knew Stiles would want to see. They had visited a couple of the tourist attractions that were still open after the earthquake, as well as the central shopping area. Felicity had taken Stiles to the best comic book store in the city, much to the teens pleasure...Felicity didn't want to think about how much overweight her brother's suitcase would be when it came time to send him back home.

Still, they had walked for miles, or at least, it felt like they had, with the nonstop walking and exploring they had done.

"I have no plans for moving for at least the next twenty hours," Stiles declared, before he broke off to yawn, "I don't think I could get up again, even if I wanted to. I am so glad that we had dinner before we came home, because I seriously don't think I can move, even for food."

"Wow, you must be tired," Felicity laughed, although she felt exactly the same way. If Stiles wasn't already sleeping on the couch, she would have already stretched out and gone to sleep. As it was, she kicked off her shoes and put her feet up on the coffee table, stretching out her calf muscles and finding the television remote. She switched the TV on.

"Do you have any preference?" she asked. Stiles shook his head, so Felicity left it on the channel the TV was on already. A nature documentary about wolves was showing, and Stiles was watching it with a surprising amount of interest. She didn't say anything though. Moments of silence with Stiles were rare, and should be cherished, as John always used to say.

"I didn't know you were interested in wolves?" Felicity asked after a lengthy, although comfortable, pause.

Stiles blinked, "It's been a recent thing," he confessed, "they just...they're so loyal to each other, you know...I mean...their pack and their pack's land is their world. Nothing exists outside of it."

"Is this about you and dad fighting more recently?" Felicity asked, wondering what was going on in her brother's head.

"No," Stiles replied, and Felicity guessed he was telling the truth and dropped it, not having the energy to try and coax some answers out of her brother. Felicity knew that Stiles had inherited their mother's stubbornness and determination, but she had learned patience from the most patient man in world in her stepdad. Eventually the truth would come out...all Felicity had to do was wait.

TW/A

Felicity's alarm the next morning burst into life far too early for Felicity's liking. She quickly shut it off, knowing how cranky Stiles got when he didn't get enough sleep, and rolled off her bed with a groan. She stumbled to her feet and staggered to the bathroom, hoping a nice hot shower would wake her up.

Once she was showered and dressed in her typical work clothing of a skirt and a nice shirt, she moved into the main living area of the apartment. Stiles was snoring away from where he slept on the couch, his mouth hanging open with a bit of drool hanging out. Felicity snorted and snapped a picture on her phone, planning on sending it to John once it was a sensible time of day in Beacon Hills.

A glance at the clock told Felicity that she had time to have breakfast at home, and she quickly prepared a bowl of muesli and a cup of coffee. She perched up on her kitchen bench and ate, mentally going through the list of jobs she had for the day. Monday was always a busy day for her, given all the updates that she programmed to take place on the weekend when the computers weren't being used. There was always some problem that arose from the updates...even if it was just showing some departmental head how to use a new program or something.

Hmm...Coffee?" Stiles slurred from the couch. Felicity snorted.

'Not going to happen, Stiles. You know what coffee does to you and your Adderal," Felicity rolled her eyes.

Stiles moaned, "You suck," he told her. Felicity knew he was joking, but she was tired, had a lot of tedious work ahead of her, and her coffee hadn't kicked in yet.

"May I remind you that I'm letting you live with me? It's not like I have to. I don't have to do what your dad wants me to, not anymore. If I wasn't here where would you go, Stiles?" Felicity yelled, although the moment she realised what she was saying Felicity snapped her jaw shut, and whipped around, looking at Stiles where he lay on the couch, a hurt look written across his face.

"Stiles I...I'm sorry, okay...I didn't mean that. I'm just tired and I've got a long day ahead of me. I shouldn't have taken it out on you though. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay...i'm fine," Stiles shrugged, even though Felicity knew that he was only saying it to please her. Suddenly not very hungry, Felicity set her bowl aside and approached the couch. Stiles had pulled himself upright, wincing as the movement jostled his still healing ribs, before she pulled him into a gentle hug.

'I'm sorry, buddy, okay. I was wrong to say that...you know you're always welcome here if you need to get away from Beacon Hills or...whatever it is that's bothering you...even if it's dad. Just...just let him know where you're going first, before he starts a nationwide man hunt...and you know he would if you went missing..

Stiles let out a snort, "yeah, he would," he agreed, "anyway, you should go to work...I'll cook dinner tonight, if you want."

"Sounds great...just try to not burn my apartment down."

"Oh come on, that was only once...and I was seven...give me a break." Stiles protested with a grin, and Felicity laughed, rising to her feet and putting away her breakfast dishes, having finished her coffee.

"I'll call when I'm about to leave the office, but it won't be before 6," She told him as she picked up her back. Stiles snuggled back down on the couch, obviously planning to get some more sleep.

""Okay...see you later." Stiles yawned sleepily. Felcity rolled her eeys, before she let herself out of her apartment and locked the door securely .behind her.

TW/A

Felicity let out a sigh of relief as she finally made it to her landing. The lift hadn't been working when she'd gotten to her building, so she'd had to take the stairs, which wouldn't normally be an issue, but her day had turned out even worse than she had expected, and now she was exhausted.

She walked down the corridor that led to her apartment yawning sleepily, until she froze, her eyes falling on her apartment door. Even at a distance she could tell that it wasn't closed properly, and she could see some splintering around the lock. She immediately pulled out her phone and hit her third speed dial.

"Oliver," she said the moment the phone was answered, "I think my apartment has been broken into."

"Felicity?" Oliver asked in concern, "what makes you think that?"

"The door's ajar, and the lock looks like it was kicked in...Oh my God...Stiles."

"Felicity no," Oliver ordered, but Felicity raced forward, pushing the door open. The apartment was dark, and she fumbled for the light switch.

"Felicity, I'm on my way, okay," Oliver said into her ear as she found the switch and flicked it, the sudden light burning her retinas. Felicity glanced around the apartment, and felt her blood run cold, and her chest begin to tighten in the beginnings of a panic attack...just like the ones Stiles used to get after their mother's death.

'Oliver," she croaked, "there's blood everywhere...and I can't see him. I can't see my brother...Where's Stiles?"


	7. Chapter 7

Officer Quentin Lance hated missing person's cases. He always had, even before he lost Sara when the Queen's Gambit went down, but now he disliked them even more. The pain of not having a body to bury... not having any closure...not knowing what had happened... could destroy anyone. Who was he kidding...it had destroyed him.

He looked at the young blonde sitting on the couch, clutching a tissue; a shock blanket draped around her shoulders, and felt sympathy well up for her as he looked over the scene again.

Normally Quentin wouldn't be too worried yet. Teenagers nicked off all the time, but this was no ordinary case of a missing teenager. For one, the kid in question's older sister was in league with the Green Arrow.

Quentin had been surprised when the phone he used to contact the archer started ringing that evening, but he had wasted no time answering it. The arrow usually didn't contact him unless it was an emergency, and Quentin didn't want to face another Glades situation.

"Officer Lance," the archer had begun, "There's been a kidnapping. Felicity Smoak's younger brother is missing...I need you to get there as soon as possible."

Quentin had rushed out of his apartment and driven, sirens blaring, to the address he had been given by the vigilante. The archer was already there when Quentin arrived, holding Felicity in a tight hug, rubbing her back reassuringly, although Quentin had caught his eye. They both knew that, judging from the amount of blood on the ground, the kid wouldn't be in a great condition...if he was even still alive.

The blood was the other difference from most other cases of teenagers going missing. Most teens didn't go missing from a scene where there had obviously been some sort of struggle and a fight. Quentin and the Arrow had followed the blood trail through the apartment into Felicity's bedroom, and to the window connecting to the fire escape, which was open.

"Have you pissed anyone off lately that would do something like this...target an innocent kid?" Quentin asked the Arrow, who shook his head. Even though he couldn't see the vigilante's features, Quentin could see that the archer was being affected by the kidnapping. He put a reassuring hand on the other man's shoulder.

"We'll do all we can. I know we've already called 911, but I'll get myself put on the case. Between the two of us, we'll get him back."

"Will we?" the vigilante said in a defeated, though hushed tone, "You know just as well as I do the chances of getting him back alive. He doesn't deserve this. He knows nothing...he had no involvement in this...he's not even from Starling City."

Quentin could hear the frustration in the vigilante's voice, "Have you met him before?" he asked, "outside of the uniform?"

"Yes...a few times, since he came to the city," The vigilante told him, "but never like this."

Quentin knew what the masked man was saying. The kid...Stiles... had met the archer's daytime persona, whoever that might be, but hadn't met the masked one who roamed the city and threatened those who had wronged it. Quentin let out a sigh as he felt his concern for the teenager increase. It sounded like he really did know nothing about the vigilante. Quentin only prayed that whoever it was that had taken the kid wasn't looking for information about the vigilante. No-matter what torture he endured, Stiles would be able to answer any questions...which could lead to the kidnappers becoming angry and frustrated and...and more bad things happening to the kid.

"Go, start looking...I'll do what I can here."

"Look after Felicity," the man in the hood requested, before he was gone, disappearing out the window into the night as if he was never there. Quentin walked back to the living room and put a hand on Felicity's shoulder.

"We'll find him...between your masked friend and Starling City Police Department we'll turn this town upside down until we find him."

Felicity looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears, "I know you'll find him...between you and the vigilante, I know Stiles is going to get found...but I'm scared that it's not going to be until it's too late. I can't lose my baby brother."

Quentin sighed, knowing that Felicity was within her rights to be scared. She knew too much about Starling City's underbelly to be comforted by him. The only thing that was going to make her feel better was seeing her brother again, life and relatively uninjured.

With every minute that passed, however, Quentin doubted more and more that it would ever happen.

TW/A

Felicity stared blankly at the screen of her laptop, her gaze unfocused and distant. She was blind to all around her, and Oliver was willing to bet that she didn't even know that he and Diggle were watching her.

Diggle had been watching over Felicity ever since she stumbled down the stairs to the underground lair of the hood. Oliver had still been out combing the city for clues when she had arrived in the early hours of the morning, once the police had finished collecting evidence from her apartment.

Felicity's phone sat on the desk beside her, plugged in to a spare power point so that it would stay charged up. Oliver instinctively knew she was keeping it with her just in case Lance found Stiles and called her to tell her that her brother was okay, but so far the phone was silent.

"Has she even moved since she got here?" Oliver asked, his voice thick with concern.

Diggle shook his head, "No...she's got the computer scanning the city cell towers for any sign of tracking Stiles' phone. It hasn't been working because his phones turned off, and she can't turn it on remotely...whoever took Stiles probably took the battery out, or they smashed the phone or something, but just in case it goes back on the gird, we'll know about it."

Oliver nodded, "Has she spoken to her step dad?"

"Yes," Diggle commented, "she rang him not long after she got here, confirming what time he was arriving in the city. Officer Lance is going to pick him up from the airport at eight o'clock...it was the first flight that he could get on from Sacramento."

"I wonder how he's doing?" Oliver mused quietly.

"Not too well I imagine. From what I overheard from when he called earlier he's distraught. He's a Sherriff I guess...he knows the odds aren't in the kid's favour." Diggle sighed, rubbing a weary hand over his eyes, "how did the search go?"

Oliver shook his head, "I couldn't find anything, they didn't leave a trail, and I couldn't find any clues the police missed. Tomorrow night if Stiles hasn't turned up I'm going to ask Roy if he's heard anything...he's got more contacts in the glades than I will ever have. I'm glad that Lance is on the case...he'll keep looking until we find Stiles, despite what he thinks of me."

"Wonder how the kid is doing?" Diggle mused, "Probably scared out of his wits."

Oliver nodded in agreement, before he let out a sigh, "go home, Dig, he said in a soft voice, "get some sleep...it's going to be a long day...I'll stay with Felicity.

"You sure?" Diggle asked. Oliver nodded in replay, and Diggle gathered his jacket and left the basement. Felicity stirred at the movement.

"It's okay, Felicity, Diggle's just going to get some rest so he's wide awake tomorrow," Oliver reassured, and Felicity relaxed in her seat.

"If it was a ransom they would have called by now, wouldn't they?" she said, and Oliver could tell from the catch in Felicity's voice that she had been crying.

"Not always," Oliver said, "it's late, they might be waiting for the morning."

"Obviously they've never had a member of their family go missing. This not knowing...this waiting...it's killing me, Oliver." She looked over her shoulder at him, and Oliver was at her side in a moment, crouching down in front of her and pulling her into a tight hug. Felicity didn't hesitate before she reciprocated the hug, clinging onto Oliver's arms she lowered her head to his leather clad shoulder as she lost control and began sobbing. Oliver rubbed her back reassuringly.

"We're going to do everything we can, Felicity. I promise, we won't stop until we find him."

"I'm scared, Oliver," Felicity admitted, "What if something happens to him. He's the last piece of my mom I've got left...I can't lose him. Stiles is my baby brother, I have to look after him."

"I know, Felicity," Oliver nodded, "I can't think of what it would be like if it was Thea that was missing."

"You need to find him, Oliver...I don't know what I'm going to do. I know I haven't spent time with Stiles in ages, and we haven't lived together in six years, but we email all the time, and I call him a lot, especially after I've had a bad day. He doesn't deserve this. Oliver, if he got taken because somebody figured out the connection between the vigilante and me...he's dead. My little brother will be dead, and it'll be because of me."

"No...it'll be because of me," Oliver corrected, "I should have protected you more...and Stiles as well, but I promise you, I will do that I can to get him back for you...and I understand if you don't want to be involved in this anymore. I should never have got you involved in the first place."

"No," Felicity shook her head, her voice strengthening with resolve, "I couldn't do that. Not to the people of Starling City. No offence, but you need all the help you can get at the moment. Stiles...Stiles would have supported what we do here...he's a bit crazy about superheroes...he always has been. If I stopped helping you protect the people of Starling city because of him Stiles would be so pissed."

"I don't think I've ever heard you swear before.' Oliver smirked, and Felicity quirked an eyebrow.

"Trust me...you didn't know me in my college days...or when I'm alone in the mainframe room at work."

A sudden noise from Felicity's computer made both Oliver and Felicity jump, and Felicity whirled around, spinning her chair so fast Oliver had to quickly get his head out of the way.

"Somebody switched Stiles' phone on," she exclaimed, tapping rapidly on the keys, "I'm starting to trace where it is."

Oliver got to his feet and leaned over Felicity's shoulder, glancing at the map.

"Tell me when you get a location," he told her, before he grabbed his bow and hurried out. Felicity bounced nervously in her seat, her hands clasped to her mouth.

"Come on...come on," she begged as the computers worked to find the exact location of Stiles'' phone.

A message popped up on her screen, and her jaw dropped. Stiles' phone was making a call. Felicity looked at the number. It wasn't hers, or Oliver's, or Diggle's...or even Quentin Lance's number. It didn't look like Scott's number, and it certainly wasn't John's number. Felicity didn't recognise the number. It was another mobile phone, but that was all she could tell. She pulled up another screen and quickly tapped in the new number into her laptop, hoping she could find out where it came from.

"Talk to me Felicity," Oliver's voice came through her ear piece, and Felicity jumped, startled.

"The phone...it's making a call. I'm seeing if I can piggyback into the connection and find whoever it is Stiles...or whoever has his phone is calling. Stiles' phone...it's in the glades...in the...you know, earthquake area."

Oliver swore, and Felicity could hear Oliver's motorbike roaring as he accelerated. Her computer beeped, and Felicity looked at the screen displaying a map of the glades, a red flashing light showing where Stiles' phone was. She rattled the address off to Oliver, before she broke off; biting her lip in frustration when the call between Stiles' phone and the other phone ended, and Stiles' phone abruptly got turned off. Felicity swallowed, hoping that whoever was using Stiles' phone would make another call.

"I'm five minutes out from there, Felicity...tell me if it moves."

"I can't tell anymore...whoever it was switched the phone back off after the call had finished."

"How long was the call for?" Oliver asked.

"Less than a minute...I'm looking into the number that was called...it might give us a clue as to where Stiles has been held."

"Alright...I'm almost there," Oliver told Felicity. Felicity held her breath, perched on the edge of the seat as she tapped on her computer keyboard, so that Oliver's location was displayed on the same screen as the location as Stiles' phone. She watched with bated breath, anxiety growing within her, as the green light, drew closer to the spot the red flashing light had been.

TW/A

Oliver carefully inched along the alleyway, stepping over rubble cautiously, his senses on high alert for any threat.

"Nearly there, Oliver, just a few more feet," Felicity told him, and Oliver exhaled, stepping over what had once been a chunk of brick wall.

"Felicity," he said in a soft voice.

"No, Oliver, it's there...you're standing right in front of it...the subway doesn't go right underneath there, and it's in the middle of a alleyway, so it's not like it's on a different level." Felicity snapped at him.

"Felicity...I've got it. They...they've smashed it to pieces, but I've got it."

"And...and Stiles...the kidnappers...anyone?" Felicity asked desperately

"Felicity...there's nothing here," Oliver told her regretfully as he slid the remains of Stiles' phone into a plastic evidence bag. The phone's battery was a few feet away from the phone, and Oliver put it in a separate bag for fingerprint analysis.

"Are you sure...they could be hiding," Felicity pleaded, although she knew Oliver would have checked the surroundings thoroughly for any sign of Stiles or whoever it was that had taken him, and would check everything again before he called Lance and told him the new information.

"Felicity...I'm sorry...they're gone. "

"Is there any security cameras or anything we could run facial recognition off?"

"Felicity," Oliver told her in a gentle voice, "It's in one of the most badly damaged areas of the Glades. There aren't any cameras. There's nothing left to watch."

"Except for Kidnappers making phone calls off their victim's phone," Felicity pouted.

"I'm going to have a look around, you try and focus on tracking down whoever it was that they were calling. Whoever it was has to be involved. Do you want me to call Diggle in?"

"No...no, I'll be okay," Felicity admitted, and Oliver could hear the newfound resolve in Felicity's voice. Both he and Felicity recognized how important Diggle's family was to him, neither of them wanted to pull him away from that any more than they did already.

"You tell me if you find anything, alright?" Oliver ordered as he began to look around more carefully, keeping an eye out for any people that might see him.

Felicity sighed, "you too," she told Oliver, before they commenced radio silence, both absorbed in their tasks. Felicity let out a victorious whoop when her computer let out a beep, and her screen was flooded with information. She scanned the screen quickly, and her mouth dropped.

'What is it, what did you find?" Oliver asked, "Felicity...what is it?"

"Oh God," Felicity croaked.

"Felicity...tell me what you've found."

"The phone that they called...it was just a pre paid phone from a convenience store...no details connected to it or anything."

"Damn," Oliver swore in frustration at the dead end.

"No...It gets worse, Oliver," Felicity told him, shaking her head, her gaze fixed on the screen, "The phone...it was sold from a newsagency in Beacon Hills...eight months ago...someone from my home town was involved in the kidnapping."


	8. Chapter 8

In Beacon Hills, Derek Hale grunted as he was awoken by a persistent ringing noise. He growled and opened his eyes, blurrily focusing on his phone, the screen lit up, showing that Stiles was calling him. Derek contemplated ignoring the call, before he reached out and grabbed the loudly ringing piece of plastic. Stiles would never shut up about it if Derek started ignoring his calls, and if there was a genuine reason the teen was ringing him at ass o'clock in the morning Derek would be glad Stiles had though to contact him...even though Derek was still too far away to be of assistance if Stiles was in trouble.

"This better be important, Stiles...Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"That's not a very nice way to answer the phone, Derek, especially considering the kid is one of your pack...even if he is just a pathertic little human."

Derek's blood ran cold at the voice on the other side of the phone call, memories flooding him. Don Constiablo had been a werewolf that Derek had known in New York. Power hungry and desperate to become an alpha, Don had tried to form an alliance with Laura by proposing to her, but Laura had turned him down. Derek had fully supported her. Don had given him the creeps. He was middle aged, over twelve years older than Laura, but still handsome, with tanned skin and a smooth voice. With that, however, came a vicious temper and questionable sanity. Laura and Derek had made a point of avoiding the pack Don was part of while they were in New York, which had been made easier by the fact that other packs had offered them shelter and protection, taking pity on the orphaned Hales.

The idea of Stiles, trapped, helpless and so painfully human, being anywhere near Don Constiablo sent fear surging through him.

"Don Constiablo," Derek scowled down the phone, "What have you done to Stiles."

"Oh, I have done nothing...yet."

"Don't you touch him."

"Or what, you'll bare your teeth at me? You're not the only one who's become an Alpha since we last met, Derek. It was such a pity to hear about beautiful, precious Laura...If only she had said yes to me...she wouldn't have been killed by her own uncle."

"No...you would have done it instead. You only wanted her power." Derek growled.

"Well, yes...The Hales are one of the oldest werewolf lines in the country. The Alpha of the Hale pack is a position that commands respect...simply due to the power the Alpha wields. Why do you think no-one said no to Laura when she asked for help when you both arrived in New York?"

"Not all werewolves are monsters like you. You and I both know that the power of an Alpha has nothing to do with their bloodline, it depends on the size, the unity, and the strength of the pack the Alpha leads."

"Oh, Derek, your mother must be so proud. You sounded like her when you said that. I only met her once, but Talia Hale...she did leave an impression. Of course I know that the size of the pack is important. How many Beta's do you have? Three...four maybe? I have twenty...when the Glades collapsed there were so many poor souls to pick from...it was beautiful...so much chaos and madness...nobody thinking it was unusual that a family member was missing, just assuming that they were dead or lost in the rubble. There's thousands of people who are still unaccounted for."

"You're in Starling City?"

"Of course I am. Imagine my surprise when I'm out and about, minding my own business, when a teenage boy...a teenaged human boy... walks by me reeking of Hale pack...of you. Admittedly it wasn't a recent smell, but you and your pack must have made sure he was well scented with your scent before sending him off on his little holiday."

Derek froze, remembering the night before Stiles left, when the entire pack had slept over at Scott's house, piled on the living room floor, Stiles in the middle, completely surrounded by the pack. The whole point had been to make sure Stiles' scent would be mixed with theirs, it had been instinctive once they knew that Stiles would be going away during the summer, a innate reflex to want to make sure the member of the pack that would be travelling would carry the scent of the pack wherever they went. Now the gesture had come back to haunt them.

"What do you want?"

"Want...why Derek, I would have thought it was obvious. The Hale's have some of the best territory in northern California...a few too many hunters for my liking, but territory is territory. If I don't get it, well, I have your boy here. I'll take my territory out of him, before I cut him into little bits and send them back to you...and I'll be sure to send some to Daddy Dearest too...and make sure he and the hunters know whose fault it is the kid is dead."

"If I give you my territory, what's going to happen to the rest of the pack?"

"They face a choice, join me, exile from the hometown I'm sure they all love...or I will tear their throats out of their skinny little necks...and then I'll start of their families...and those hunters of course...I can't leave them wandering around picking off members of my pack...not that you'd mind that I imagine, knowing what certain members of the Argent family have done to you in the past. I'll expect your reply in person in twenty four hours. If you're not here by then to transfer your lands to me, well, Stiles gets to find out what it's like to travel with the US postal service."

Don hung up, and Derek stared at the phone. A soft noise from the doorway made him whip around. Isaac stood in Derek's bedroom doorway, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of Derek's old boxers, his skin pale in the moonlight that shone through Derek's window. Derek knew from the teenager's wide eyes and fearful expression that Isaac had heard the conversation.

'Derek...what's going on?" Isaac asked fearfully. Derek tossed his phone onto the bed and slid out from under the covers, getting to his feet, his figures shifting to his beta form. Isaac took a nervous step back, sensing Derek's rage

"Call Allison, Lydia and Danny. Pack meeting...now...I don't care what they need to do, they just need to get here," Derek ordered, moving to the window and easing it open, before he clambered out and scaled the wall until he was on the roof of the loft that was serving as pack headquarters. Derek was planning on rebuilding the Hale house, and had even begun to sketch out plans, but for now, the loft was their base.

Once he reached the roof top Derek stopped, hoping that what he was about to do wouldn't attract the attention of any hunters that Gerard had brought in that hadn't left town yet, before he threw his head back and howled, long and hard, summoning every member of the pack to him.

Derek howled until he needed to breathe, and then he stopped and listened. Counting in his head as short, answering howls replied his, Isaac didn't respond, naturally, and Derek hadn't expected him to, since he was just downstairs. Surprisingly, however, it was Scott who answered back, an urgency in his howl that made Derek frown.

Erica and Boyd were the next to reply, followed by Peter, and then Jackson. Derek could almost hear Jackson rolling his eyes in his howl, and resolved to make sure to break a few of the arrogant teen's bones the next time they trained.

Derek climbed back down to his window and re-entered his room, quickly getting dressed before he went downstairs at the same time that Peter strolled casually through the door, followed shortly by Scott, who looked a little panicked.

"Is this about Stiles," he asked, and Derek growled.

'What do you know?"

"His dad rang up my mom a few hours ago and asked if she could keep an eye on his house for him. Stiles was kidnapped from his sister's flat yesterday afternoon. The Sherriff has gone to Starling City to help the police look. My mom only told me when she heard you howling...she thought you had somehow found out." Scott explained.

"Well...I did." Derek growled as Erica and Boyd walked in. Derek could hear the distinctive roar of Jackson's Porsche as it approached, as well as the sound of Allison's car not too far away.

Jackson had picked up Danny along the way, and Allison and Lydia arrived together, Lydia still managing to look presentable even though Derek was certain Isaac had woken her up. Not even half an hour had passed and everyone was there.

"What's going on?" Danny asked curiously, breaking the silence in the large warehouse. Derek leaned forward against the large table .

"Stiles has been kidnapped from his sister's apartment...his dad has already headed for Starling City to help with the search," Scott replied, "They didn't say on the phone if there was any suspects...The Sherriff though it must have been a random attack, I mean, Stiles doesn't know anyone in Starling City, and it's not like anyone would grab him to get to Felicity. She's just a tech specialist...no offence Danny."

"None taken," Danny offered

"Stiles being taken wasn't a random, attack," Derek growled, "He's been taken by an Alpha. Laura and I knew him when we were in New York. He wasn't an Alpha then, but he was hungry for the power."

"Who?" Peter asked

"Don Constiablo," Derek replied, and Peter swore under his breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

"What the hell did you do to piss him off?" Peter asked Derek.

"It wasn't me. Laura turned him down when he asked her to marry him. She knew he only wanted the power, and we were managing fine without being allied to the pack he was in."

"Who is this guy?" Scott asked, looking from Peter to Derek in confusion.

"He's a born wolf, the Constiablos are one of the oldest werewolf families in recent history. Not as much land or as respected as us, but they're wealthy and ruthless. Don Constaiblo was the younger son of the alpha when I first met him, and already he was vicious. He considers werewolves to be superior to humans and he won't think twice about killing a human, or anyone who protects one he wants dead. Since I've been out of the coma I've been doing my research. Don Constiablo murdered both his father and his older brother in their sleep to become Alpha, and shifted his pack from New York. No one knew where they had moved to."

"Now we do...Starling City. He has Stiles, and is threatening to kill him if his demands aren't met." Derek told the assembled pack

"What demands? We've got to do what he says...We have to save Stiles," Scott exclaimed. Derek avoided the eyes of the pack, so Isaac spoke up.

"He said that Derek has to go to Starling City within 24 hours and hand over all Hale pack lands. Derek's pack gets to choose if they want to join Constaiblo's pack, exile, or death...and if we refuse to join him he kills any family that any of us have...then he's going to kill the Argents for existing."

"But Stiles will be alive, right?" Scott asked. Derek shook his head.

"You don't know this man, Scott. If I go there to hand over my land, I would probably also be going to see Stiles' execution. His word cannot be trusted."

"Derek is right. Stiles was dead the moment Constiablo got his claws on him." Peter sighed.

"You're...you're giving up on him?" Scot stammered, dropping down onto a seat. Allison was at his side in a instant, a reassuring hand on his shoulder."

"Well..." Peter began.

'No...we're not. Stiles is pack...and I refuse to lose another pack mate. I'm going to Starling City and I'm getting him back...whatever it takes. Even if it means handing Beacon Hills over to him."

"What does handing over Pack Lands entail?" Lydia asked.

"It's a ritual. Derek will make a blood agreement with Constiablo...and then Constiablo kills Derek. It'll automatically make him Alpha of all Hale territories."

"You mean, Derek dies?" Isaac asked in a soft voice, inching closer to Derek.

Derek nodded, "If that's what it takes."

Isaac, Boyd and Erica surged forward, latching onto Derek. Derek remained motionless, but Scott could still see the pain on the Alpha's face.

"I'll go with you. You've got a better chance at getting Stiles out without getting killed with back up," Scott declared

"Me too," Isaac chimed in.

"You're not leaving me behind. I've got to rescue my Batman," Erica told them, her voice thick with resolve. Boyd nodded in agreement

"Stiles would die for any of us; Jackson and I are in...and Jackson can organise for us to get there or back...his dad has a plane."

"I...what?" Jackson looked at Lydia in shock. Lydia quirked her eyebrow at the former Kanima, wordlessly daring him to argue.

"Fine," Jackson grumbled, giving in.

"I'm going too...and I'll tell Dad to be on the lookout for any strange werewolves in town...even though we're retired," Allison put in.

"This sounds a bit over my head," Danny admitted, and Derek nodded.

"That's fine, you've only known about this for a few weeks. I need you to get things ready. If this goes badly, and I get killed and Constiablo claims these lands, and I'm assuming none of you want to join his pack," everyone shook their heads, "you're going to need to be ready to run."

"What do we need?" Danny asked, "Fake Ids, car registrations...high school diplomas?"

"Shouldn't be needed," Derek shook his head, "Once you all cross out of Hale pack territory Constiablo shouldn't have any reason to follow you. Family that don't know about werewolves should be left alone as well. I'll make it a condition, if it comes to that."

"What about parents that do know about all this?" Scott asked.

"Your mom will need to get ready to run as well." Derek admitted "Allison's dad as well. Since he's already in Starling City the Sherriff might be at risk as well. Peter, if the worst happens, you're in charge of getting Chris, Melissa and Danny out of town. Tell Deaton what's going on once it gets light, he is technically the Hale pack emissary, he'll be a target as well. Constiablo has a far larger pack than this, but most of them have only been turned recently from what I've heard, since the earthquake in Starling City."

"We'll be able to take them...we've trained hard." Isaac boasted confidently.

Derek shook his head, "Don't be over confident. While he doesn't know much about us, we know little about him and his pack...where they have Stiles, how many he has in the pack, how well trained they are...and we're not going to be able to do much to solve that particular problem, so we're just going to have to be very very careful."

The wolves nodded in agreement, and Derek sighed, before turning to Jackson.

'How long will it take you to organise this plane?"

"We'll be there by lunchtime," Jackson said confidently.

"Maybe we'll be able to go to that Diner, the one Stiles was talking about the last time I spoke to him, while we sort out what we're going to do." Scott suggested.

"Jackson, organise the flights," Derek ordered, "Everyone else, go get packed, enough gear to get you through at least a few days, or a week. Remember that you might need to get out very quickly, and you're not going to be able to come back home. Peter..."

"Make sure the Camaro is out of pack lands...got it." Peter replied, knowing what Derek was going to say.

"Stiles' jeep too" Scott added, "He'll kill me if anything happens to Betsy."

"Forget Stilinski's stupid jeep...what about my Porsche?" Jackson argued. Peter rolled his eyes at the teenagers.

"Don't worry, Jackson, I'll take care of your car," Danny reassured Jackson

"Boys," Lydia huffed with a eye roll, and Erica and Allison giggled as they got to their feet. The rest of the pack followed their lead, and Scott, Boyd, Erica, Lydia, Jackson and Allison headed out, going home to pack their bags., and Isaac headed upstairs to his room.

Peter approached Derek, "You know...he might be dead already. Contiablo isn't known for being gentle of captives."

Derek growled, "He's not dead."

"How do you know?" Peter pushed

"If he were dead...I'd know. I'd feel it." Derek snapped, looking at his uncle with red eyes. Peter backed off, recognizing a warning when he saw one.

"You really do consider him to be a member of the pack, don't you?"

"Yes," Derek growled

"Maybe you should tell him that one day" Peter suggested, before he left the warehouse, leaving Derek standing alone beside the table, lost in his thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9

Stiles moaned as he regained consciousness, his body throbbing in pain. He was lying on his side, his hands tied behind his back, and his feet tied together with thick rope. His ribs were screaming in agony, and Stiles could feel that his face was covered in dried blood from the gash he had sustained when he had first been captured. The fact that he was lying on a hard, concrete floor, tied up, told Stiles that he whole thing hadn't just been a nightmare triggered by his abduction by Gerard a few weeks before. No...Unless he was still sleeping, and Sties was certain he wouldn't hurt this much if he was sleeping, then he had been captured, and hadn't yet been rescued.

"Ah, I see our guest has awoken," a smooth voice said from over him, and Stiles blearily opened his eyes, looking up at the man who stood over him. No...not a man, although the figure itself was almost certainly male. The red eyes and the fangs immediately told Stiles that he was dealing with a werewolf, and an Alpha werewolf at that. Stiles mentally swore, guessing that this werewolf would not be as friendly as the ones he spent most of his time with.

Which was saying quite a lot, since Derek still liked to push Stiles into walls from time to time, and Jackson liked using his strength to make sure Stiles was well aware of the fact that he was merely human, and not a werewolf, and therefore not a member of the pack.

Of course, because of what Gerard had done to him, the werewolves had been very gentle with Stiles recently (Jackson was the exception), but Stiles knew that it wouldn't last, especially now that he was well down the path to healing.

"What, no greeting...Your Alpha mustn't have given you a very good lesson when it comes to your manners...your mother must be so disappointed in you, Stiles...or would you prefer Genim?"

"How do you know my name?" Stiles asked hoarsely. The werewolf laughed and held up Stiles' wallet. Stiles knew that his licence had his real name on it, but he had a photo of him and Scott in it from a few years ago, and Melissa had written 'Scott and Stiles' and the date the photo had been taken on the back of the photo.

"Tell me, was that taken before or after you joined the Hale Pack?"

"I'm, not a member of the pack," Stiles told the wolf, "I don't know what you're talking about. What the hell is an alpha...is this some weird colledge fraternity prank...kidnap the teenaged tourist? What the hell is with your eyes, dude? Are you on drugs?"

The werewolf laughed, and the sound made the hairs on the back of Stiles' neck stand up and fear course through Stiles' body.

"Oh, come on Stiles, you know werewolves can tell when you're telling a lie, and you just told me one. I think you know well what I'm talking about...and I also can tell that you are a member of the Hale Pack...even if you don't seem to believe that. You would not smell so strongly of them even though you have been in Starling City for so long if you were not considered by them to be a member of the pack."

Stiles briefly wondered how the werewolf knew when he arrived in Starling City, before he remembered that the plane ticket from the day he travelled to Starling city was still stuffed in his wallet.

"Didn't your mom tell you it was rude to go through other people's wallets?" Stiles asked, "Besides, you know who I am, I don't know who you are."

"Of course, how rude of me, I apologise. My name is Don Constiablo. I am the Alpha over most of Starling City."

"I would say it's been a pleasure to meet you...but it really hasn't." Stiles scowled.

"Ah, Stiles. You have no idea how much trouble you are in. You see, I know your precious Alpha, Derek. He and Laura and I go quite a long way back. You really should know better than to have gotten involved in werewolf matters, Stiles. It never ends well for humans that run with werewolf packs. Derek's just been deluding himself, and you, into thinking that you would be safe. I'm going to prove him wrong."

"Yeah, how are you going to do that?" Stiles spat. The werewolf smirked, and another figure stepped up beside him, a crowbar in his hands. Stiles swallowed. This wasn't going to end well.

"By hurting you," Don Constiablo told Stiles, before the other man brought the crowbar swinging down, hard, and Stiles' world erupted in pain.

TW/A

"Told you I would get us here by lunchtime," Jackson boasted as the pack walked into the diner that Scott had led them to.

"Yes, well done," Erica rolled her eyes, 'It's not as if you actually flew the plane or something."

Scott gave a weak smile at Erica's joke, the most he could muster, before he frowned and dropped his gaze again. Derek could sense the teen's emotions. Scott was terrified that he wouldn't see Stiles alive again, and he was blaming himself for what had happened. Derek understood how Scott felt, he felt exactly the same way. Derek knew the pack would never fully recover if something happened to Stiles. Even though Stiles wasn't a werewolf Derek considered the teen to be his second in command. All of the pack looked up to Stiles and trusted him, even Jackson. If one of the Betas had an issue, and didn't want to go to Derek with it, they went to Stiles. Stiles was the one that Derek himself went to if he needed help, and Stiles was by far the one that knew the most about werewolves and the supernatural in the pack (except for Peter), thanks to the hours of research he did in order to help the pack.

"What do we do now?" Scott asked once the pack was seated at a booth in a secluded corner of the room. The entire pack turned their eyes to Derek, leaving Derek struck by how painfully young they all looked, looking at him, hope in their eyes, trusting that he would know what to do in order to save Stiles.

Realistically, Derek knew that there was a good chance Stile's rescue rode on his shoulders. He was the only one who had any experience with wolves other than pack mates, including tracking them. Sure, there had been days spent out in the woods trying to track one another (Isaac and Boyd were by far better at it than Scott, Erica and Jackson), but Derek shuddered at the thought of any of his pack coming up against an experienced wolf from Constiablo's pack...or even worse, Constiablo himself.

"Scott...do you still have that piece of paper with Felicity's address on it?"

"Yes," Scott said, pulling the slip of paper out of his wallet and passing it to Derek, who glanced at it, memorising it.

"I'll start here," Derek began, tapping the slip of paper, "and follow Stiles' scent. They've got to be holding him somewhere in the city. I want you guys to break up into groups and have a look around. Because of the quake there are a lot of abandoned building and warehouses that Constiablo could be using. Constiablo will have someone watching Felicity's house, and I imagine once I make an appearance there I'm going to be met with by some of Constiablo's Betas. They'll probably take me to wherever it is they're holding Stiles. Isaac, Boyd...do you two feel confident to enough to follow my scent through a city that you don't know?"

Boyd and Isaac nodded, and Derek studied them.

"Remember, this is the city, not the preservation. There will be different smells, there will certainly be other wolves around. You have to concentrate on my scent. Be aware of your surroundings. If you think you're being followed, you probably are. Once I'm at wherever they take me, keep your distance until the others arrive."

"We need a signal...for when we're ready...howling is too obvious." Scott pointed out. Derek was reasonably sure that Cobnstiablo and his pack would know that Derek's betas were there regardless of whether or not they howled, but he said nothing.

"I've been thinking about that," Lydia put in, "while we were flying over. I think I've got a solution."

Lydia pulled a bottle of perfume out of her purse, "because of the earthquake there is a lot of broken windows around, right?'

Derek, Scott and Isaac nodded. Jackson and Erica had already twigged on Lydia's plan.

"Of course," Erica smiled.

"Er...I don't get it." Isaac admitted sheepishly.

"Jackson...if I smashed this, how far away would you be able to smell it, if you were inside and this was outside, but the windows were open...or smashed."

"at least fifty metres," Jackson told her, "Probably more like 100...that stuff stinks."

"Right...the way I see it, Constiablo are going to be waiting for a werewolf sign, like howling or...I don't know, scent marking. Nobody will suspect a subtle scent of flowers and ocean breeze on a moonlit night." Lydia said, quoting the description from the perfume bottle.

"I think Stiles has had an influence on her," Scott whispered to Isaac, causing Allison and Erica to snort in amusement, while Jackson scowled at Scott for inferring Stiles had influenced Lydia's behaviour in any way.

"It's a good plan," Derek praised Lydia as a waitress with a kind, motherly smile, approached the pack.

"Hi...what can I get you guys?' she asked cheerfully. Knowing that they needed to keep their strength up, the pack knew that they needed to eat something...even if they didn't really feel like eating, knowing what they did about what Stiles was going through.

One by one they put their orders in, Lydia rolling her eyes at the amount of food the werewolves ordered. Scott made sure to order some of the curly fries that Stiles had told him were almost as good as the ones back in Beacon Hills, and Lydia and Allison gave him penetrating looks.

"What?" Scott said, "We came here all the way from Beacon Hills to save Stiles...the least we could do is eat some of his favourite food."

None of the pack noticed as the waitress finished scribbling out their order and quietly withdrew, the smile falling from her face the moment her back was turned. She headed towards the kitchen counter and put the order up with all the others, before she tapped the other waitress that was working on the arm.

"I'm going to take my break now,"

"OK, Carly...is something wrong,"

"Not at all. I just need to call John about something."

"Alright then" the waitress smiled. Carly took off her apron and ducked into the kitchen, where her handbag had been stored that morning when she had started her shift. She pulled out her phone, and then ducked into the alleyway at the back of the diner, hitting number two on her speed dial. The phone rang four times before it was answered.

"Hey Carly, what's up?" she heard her brother in law ask.

"Hey, John...listen, has your friend's brother turned up yet?"

"No...why?"

"His name...it's Stiles...isn't it? He comes from somewhere called Beacon Hills?"

"Yeah...what's going on? Have you seen him or something?" asked John anxiously

"I have a bunch of kids in the Diner. I've never seen any of them before, and they were talking about a kid named Stiles, and having come from Beacon Hills."

"You think they were involved in the kidnapping?" John asked her.

"No...they were talking about rescuing him...they might be his friends...most of them look to be about the same age as him...one of them is a little older, but other than that...they just look like normal kids. They're obviously scared about something, they're very subdued, compared to what most teenagers are like during summer."

Do you think you're going to be able to get a photo of them? Felicity might recognise some of them if they are Stiles' friends."

"Sure" Carly nodded.

"Okay...stay safe."

"Thanks John"

"Thank-you for the information," John replied, before they both hung up. Carly slipped back inside and, leaning discreetly against the kitchen door, she took a photo of the group in their secluded corner, managing to get a good angle on all of them, even though none of them were looking at the camera. She sent the photo to John, hoping it would be useful. Stiles had been so polite the time John, Oliver and Felicity had brought him to the Diner...she hoped that he would be found soon.

TW/A

"Guys" Diggle said as he hung up the phone, "Carly just rang me; she said that there was a group of kids in the Diner, talking about rescuing a kid called Stiles. They said something about coming from Beacon Hills."

"It could be a coincidence," Oliver offered. Felicity and Diggle gave him a piercing look.

"With a name like Stiles...really?" Felicity reasoned. Oliver conceded that she had a good point.

"Did she say what they looked like?" Oliver asked.

Diggle shook his head, "only that they looked to be about the same age as Stiles...with one a little older than the others. She's going to try and take a photo of them and send it to me. Felicity might be able to recognise some of them."

"What if they were involved in the kidnapping...we know that whoever took Stiles called someone in Beacon Hills. Eight hours later, and a group from Beacon Hills walks into a Diner where Stiles has been before...what if they're the ones who wanted Stiles taken." Felicity said, getting to her feet and pacing the basement anxiously. Diggle's phone chimed, indicating he had a text, and he quickly brought it up as Oliver approached Felicity and brought her close to his chest, hugging her as he spoke in a soft, reassuring voice.

"It's okay, we'll find him. The fact that whoever they are...the fact that they're here now...it means that Stiles is still alive. You've got to focus on the positive. Stiles is like you...he's not going to go down without a fight."

Felicity sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "you think so?"

"Yeah...even if he's only half as tough as you, he'll be putting up a fight.'

"Felicity...do you recognise anyone?" Diggle asked, handing over the phone. Felicity pulled away from Oliver, straightened her glasses and looked at the screen, before she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Oh my God!" she said, her eyes filling with tears again.

"What...who is it...who do you recognise?"

"Scott...Stiles' best friend since, like, ever, and Lydia...Stiles has been in love with her since the third grade, and Jackson...Stiles has hated him since first grade...and I just realised that he and Roy look, like...identical...maybe they're related or something...and there is Erica...she was in Stiles' year at school. I was her buddy when we did a mentoring thing between the elementary school and the high school. She has epilepsy, or at least she did really bad back then...I'm not sure if that's something you grow out of or not. I don't reco...wait a minute...is that...no...it can't...OH MY GOD, it is. That's Derek Hale. Wow, he got hot...not that he wasn't hot back when he was in high school, but...wow."

"Felicity," Oliver gently interjected.

"Right...not the time. Er, yeah, I don't know these three, but they could have moved to town recently, or just be new friends or...or whatever."

"Would any of these kids hurt Stiles...want him to be kidnapped?"

"No. I mean, growing up Scott and Stiles were like brothers...they were inseparable, and when he was, like six, Stiles went through a stage where he pretty much just worshipped the ground Derek stood on...it was so adorable, and I know that the other day when I asked him about his friends he said he was sort of friends with Derek Hale these days...that he and his friends hung out on Derek's property. Stiles said that he and Jackson were sort of friends now, even though he said that Jackson was still a douche...his word, not mine. Hey...that blonde boy...that MIGHT be Camden Lahey's little brother, but I don't know, it's been too long since I saw them...I wasn't even in Camden's year level."

"So, they're friendlies?" Diggle asked

"I know Scott and Stiles have been skyping since Stiles arrived in Starling City, and I even chatted to Scott a bit the other day...so I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes...they're friends."

"In which case," Oliver mused, "Why would the kidnappers call them? Unless...unless it was a trap...or a ransom, and Stiles is just the bait."

"Oliver...they're a bunch of kids. What on earth would kidnappers want that a bunch of kids could give them?" Diggle pointed out helpfully, sitting on the edge of Felicity's desk

"Jackson and Lydia are both from wealthy families." Felicity offered.

"It's too removed. Getting to the parents by kidnapping a boy your kids are friends with? It doesn't make sense. What about the older guy...what can you tell me about him?"

"Derek? No...just no. Derek's entire family is dead. I was best friends with his sister...the same one who died last year. I got the impression that he and Stiles aren't even that close.. I knew he was back in Beacon Hills, but he and Laura...they have nothing of value...they lost everything when their parents got killed in a house fire. My stepdad ruled it arson last year."

"Did Derek retaliate...maybe this is revenge?" Diggle offered.

"There's been a lot of deaths relating to the case, but they were all wild animal attacks, or they were committed by the woman who organised the whole thing, Kate Argent. She's dead now too...Derek's uncle killed her before he killed himself." Felicity told them, "It was in the news, and then I took a look at the official police reports...which you don't need to know about."

"Hacking police records is some of what you do for us, Felicity, we're not going to hand you over to the cops," Oliver reminded her. She gave a guilty smile.

"Right...I forgot that."

"I'm going to head out. If those kids have a plan to rescue Stiles they probably have an idea on where he is being held. They might lead me straight to him."

"It's worth a shot...the fact they arrive here after someone in Beacon Hills was called by the kidnappers, it's too much of a lead when we don't have anything else to fall back on." Diggle told them.

Felicity let out a sigh, "Just bring Stiles back," she told Oliver, her voice tinged in desperation, "I just want my baby brother back."

"You'll get him back," Oliver promised Felicity, a hand on her shoulder, before he headed off, collecting his uniform and his bow as he went. Diggle reached out and rested his hand on Felicity's shoulder, right where Oliver had placed his hand.

"I can't believe this has something to do with Scott. He's harmless...a puppy." Felicity said in a soft voice, her shock evident in her tone.

"Oliver will find out what's going on," Diggle told her, "he'll get to the bottom of this, and he'll get Stiles out of whatever he's been dragged into."

Felicity nodded in reply, and busied herself with her computers, tracking Oliver's movements across the Glades to the diner where Scott and the others had been sighted, staying silent as she focused on her work. Diggle watched, keeping a distance, since he knew Felicity hated people looking over her shoulder.

Even though neither of them said anything, both Felicity and Diggle were thinking about Stiles and what his kidnappers were potentially doing to him and Felicity knew her thoughts would be the stuff her nightmares would be made of for the rest of her life...regardless of what condition Stiles was in when he was found.


	10. Chapter 10

Oliver perched on Felicity's rooftop, bow held loosely in one hand as he peered down at the pavement below, his gaze fixed on a solitary figure, dressed in a leather jacket, standing outside the building, casually leaning against a signpost with a newspaper in his hands, flicking through it. Oliver had followed the man from the Diner straight to Felicity's apartment, keeping to the rooftops in order to stay hidden. He recognised the man from the picture Carly had taken...then man identified by Felicity as Derek Hale...a man who, of late, had spent time with Stiles.

The fact that Derek had gone from the Diner straight to Felicity's apartment building made alarm bells ring in Oliver's mind. Derek certainly knew more than he should. From what Felicity had said she and Derek had not talked much in recent years...not since Derek had informed Falsity of his sister's untimely death. Unless Stiles had told Derek, how on earth did the older man know which building was the one where Felicity lived. Somebody must have told him, but was it an innocent gesture on Stiles' path, or had Stiles' kidnappers arranged to meet Derek at this location...during that all too short phone call in the early hours of that morning? Oliver wasn't sure, but he was careful not to take his eyes off the man. He had been surprisingly quick moving through the streets, especially considering he was on foot...Oliver had struggled to keep up, and now Oliver didn't want Derek to disappear on him.

As he watched, Derek Oliver found himself wondering if Derek was the one who hurt Stiles. He definitely looked strong enough to be able to inflict a lot of damage to someone, and Oliver was getting a very dangerous feeling off the man...as if his instincts were warning him not to mess with Derek Hale.

Oliver pulled out his phone and pulled a copy of the picture. Diggle had conveniently forwarded the picture on to both Felicity and Oliver so Oliver would be able to check it again to ensure he was following the right guy. He studied Derek in the image, a much closer up view than what Oliver currently had. In the photo it looked like Derek was concerned, or worried about something, and Oliver could tell the man was angry about something. Maybe he was worried about Stiles, and he was angry the innocent teenager had been taken. All of the teens, however, looked slightly worried, and none of them were happy.

Tearing his eyes from the image of Derek, Oliver glanced at the solid, muscle bound teenager that could pass as a near identical double for Roy, except for the fact he was obviously a couple of years younger. Oliver had made Felicity do a search into Roy's background when he and Thea had first started going out, and the results hadn't been much. A couple of arrests, but no convictions, no high school records past his sophomore year. Roy had spent the majority of his childhood and his teenage years in the foster system. Roy's first permanent placement with a family had lasted well, lasting eight years, until the couple that had been caring died within four months of each other...one from cancer, the other from a prescription drug overdose that was ruled a suicide. From then on the longest Roy had ever spent in one home was ten months, with the average being about five, until Roy was almost seventeen, and he ran away and disappeared from official records.

Felicity had also found out that both of Roy's biological parents had been reasonably wealthy...although not to the level of Oliver or Tommy, and all evidence indicated that they loved their son very much. They had been upstanding members of the community, having lived in California; in Beacon Hills County (although not Beacon Hills itself). The couple had been killed in a car accident when Roy had been twenty months old. Roy himself had been in the car when it had crashed, but he had fortunately not been badly injured. Roy's father had died on impact, and his mother had died in hospital, during an operation to try and save the life of the unborn child she was carrying. With his parents dead, and no other living relatives to be found, Roy had grown up being moved from foster home to foster home until he ran away from his last foster home when he was sixteen. Neither Oliver nor Felicity, to Oliver's knowledge, had looked into finding out what had happened to Roy's younger sibling...although Oliver now had a strong suspicion that he knew where they had ended up.

After everything that he had gone through, Oliver didn't believe in coincidences, but the fact that Roy's younger brother and Felicity and her brother, had grown up in the same town, couldn't really be explained. Oliver really couldn't imagine how someone could manipulate that into happening, not without prior knowledge of Felicity and Roy both being connected to the Vigilante of Starling City.

Oliver was dragged from his thoughts when he noticed movement down on the sidewalk. Two large men were walking down the sidewalk, and there was something...animalistic...in the way that they moved that caught Oliver's attention. He watched as they moved along the sidewalk, approaching Felicity's building, and Oliver followed their line of sight, noticing that they were looking right at Derek Hale, who had lowered his newspaper and was watching them. Even from a distance Oliver could see the way Derek's lips curled into a threatening snarl.

Oliver was reminded of the afternoon he and Stiles had spent playing lacrosse. Stiles had said that Derek put on an act of being a badass, and Oliver now knew exactly what the teenager meant. The younger man looked threatening, and if it had been sixteen year old Thea that was hanging out with him, Oliver would have been very concerned. As it was Oliver was concerned about Stiles and his friends hanging out with Derek...but then, Oliver had seen how worried the man was beneath the gruff exterior, and he remembered how many losses Derek had experienced in his short life so far. It was no wonder that Derek hid behind a mask in order to protect both himself and those he cared about...Oliver was exactly the same. Now, a friend of Derek's was missing, and Oliver knew that Derek thought the two men approaching him had something to do with it.

The streets were empty, even though it was approaching lunchtime people were not venturing out. Not for the first time Oliver cursed himself for not trying to get Felicity to move to a better neighbourhood...especially with the crime wave that was now gripping the still standing areas of the Glades, and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Oliver carefully climbed lower, using the fire escape to get closer to Derek, wanting to be close just in case something happened between the leather clad man from Beacon Hills, and the two men that were approaching him.

Once Oliver was within hearing distance, he stopped, crouching low to avoid being seen. The pair of men now stood in front of Derek, and one of them spoke.

"Alpha Hale," he greeted, "Alpha Constiablo sends his regards. He is pleased you were able to arrive in Starling City so promptly."

"Where is Stiles?" Derek growled.

"All in good time, Alpha Hale. We've been instructed to bring you back to Alpha Constiablo. You'll see your pathetic little human pet soon. You should have heard how he screamed when Alpha Constiablo questioned him...although I fear we might never get the bloodstains out of the floor. "

Derek snarled and lunged at the two men, and Oliver watched as the faces off all three men shifted, their foreheads becoming raised, the noses becoming flatter, and their teen growing into fangs. Derek's eyes, which had been green, burned bright blood red, while the eyes of the other men were electric blue. Oliver watched in shock as they fought, taken by surprise by the transformation. By the time he pulled himself out of his shocked stillness, the fight was over. One of the men was lying on the ground, groaning in pain, his jacket and shirt shredded and drenched with blood. The other man...the one who had been talking, was on the ground, unconscious, with Derek standing over him, his chest heaving as he turned and faced the less badly injured man.

"Grab your little friend and let's go and get this over with. You wouldn't want to keep your precious Alpha waiting." Derek snarled, his eyes flashing bright blood red, and the man scrambled to his feet, staggering over to his unconscious friend and hauling him up into a fireman's carry, despite the face he was obviously badly injured... Oliver could see the bloodstain on the concrete where the man had been laying. Derek tossed the newspaper into the bin, and then followed the pair down the street. Oliver followed along behind, thankful that the buildings in this area were so close to one another, allowing him to jump from rooftop to rooftop.

Oliver's good luck ended when Derek was led around the corner and up to a parked car. The unconscious man was dumped in the back seat, and Derek got in the front passenger seat, leaving the other man to drive. Oliver quickly switched on his com link to Felicity and Diggle.

"Felicity, I need you to track a car for me," he hissed, rattling of the car's licence plate number, along with its current location.

'Got it," Felicity said as the car started and drove away. Oliver sprinted back the way he had come, heading to the alleyway where he had left his motorbike.

"Looks like they're heading into the glades," Felicity reported.

'Keep me posted," Oliver replied, "Diggle...you might want to meet me there...From what I just saw I'm going to need back up."

"On my way," Diggle stated over the com link

"Oliver...what did you just see?" Felicity asked anxiously, "what happened?"

"Derek Hale was there," Oliver replied. He was approached by two men. He beat them up and ordered them to take him to their Alpha...I guess that's their leader. It sounded like that was where Stiles was being held."

"Did they say anything about how Stiles was?" Felicity asked. Oliver cringed.

"Felicity...he's still alive...that's all I got."

"Oh, thank God," Felicity moaned, while Oliver mentally berated himself for lying. He knew that he still needed Felicity functioning in order to track the car Derek was in, and he knew that her ability to do that would be severely compromised if she knew her brother had been tortured.

"Alright, Felicity, tell me where to go." Oliver said, as he threw himself onto his motorbike and it roared into life. He sped out onto the main street weaving through the traffic as he followed her directions. It looked like Felicity was going to be right. Derek was being taken, although by a long route, deep into the Glades...not all that far from Verdant. Oliver knew that there were a lot of abandoned buildings there that hadn't been cleared for use by the fire department after the earthquake, so there was no shortage of buildings for a gang to use as a hideout. If it was not clear which building they were using, Oliver could potentially waste hours Stiles did not have searching for the gang's hideout.

Oliver had no doubts that this was gang related...despite his earlier doubts about Stiles. Derek was, obviously, the leader, and Stiles had been taken in order to get to him. Mentally, Oliver kicked himself for not going further about his concerns about Stiles' extracurricular activities back in Beacon Hills. While it was true that he and Stiles had only had their discussion on Saturday, and it was approaching midday on Tuesday now, but Oliver was certain that, even without Felicity, he and Diggle should have been able to get some information about Stiles and his friends...and possibly prevented anything from happening to Stiles.

Now, the poor kid had been kidnapped from his sister's apartment and tortured because of what he was involved in back at home. Oliver wasn't sure how the other gang had found Stiles...Felicity had been so careful; terrified that Stiles would get hurt because of the violence in Starling City. Stiles had stayed at home for almost entirely the whole time he had been in Starling City.

Except...except for the times when Oliver had pushed Felicity to take him out. The first time when they had all gone to the diner, the second time when Felicity and Stiles had gone to Oliver's house and they had played lacrosse, the third time when Oliver had suggested that maybe, on Sunday, Felicity and Stiles go out and explore the city.

Oliver was convinced that at some point during the three excursions...probably either the first or the last, Stiles had been recognised and targeted...and now he had been tortured and could potentially be killed.

And it would be Oliver's fault for encouraging Felicity to let Stiles out and see Starling City.


	11. Chapter 11

Felicity paced the basement, her phone gripped tightly in her hand, anxious to hear some news...any news.

Oliver had gone to the diner in disguise to observe the newly arrived group from Beacon Hills. The last Felicity had heard from Oliver, he had decided to follow Derek Hale when the man left the diner, and had been lead straight back to Felicity's apartment building. Derek had set up camp at the front of the building, obviously waiting for something, or keeping watch, Oliver hadn't been sure.

Diggle was gone, having headed to the Diner to watch the rest of Stile's friends, and follow them when they left. Both he and Oliver were maintaining radio silence, and Felicity was desperate for news.

"I need a distraction," Felicity muttered to herself, her gaze dropping to her phone. She had been clutching it, waiting for her stepdad or Office Lance to call her and give her some news, but so far she had heard nothing since John had called her and informed her that he had landed and was safely on his way to the Starling City Police complex in order to assist with the investigation into Stiles' disappearance.

Felicity tapped at her phone screen, bringing up the photo of Stiles' friends at the diner. She couldn't get over how grown up they all looked. It had been years since she had seen any of them...back then they had all been children, with the chubby faces and the youthful excitement that went with it. Now, as she zoomed in on Scott in the photo, Felicity couldn't believe how grown up the teen looked...he almost looked like an adult...a grown man.

The last time Felicity had spent time with Scott he and Stiles had been gangly kids, just on the cusp of puberty, and showing it clearly, their voices pitching wildly, Scott's asthma heavily restricting what he could and couldn't do. They had reminded Felicity of half grown puppies, all leggy and awkward. When she had told Melissa the older woman had laughed, patting Felicity on the shoulder and telling her that Scott and Stiles would grow out of the puppy stage soon enough.

Felicity couldn't believe that it had happened. It felt as though, while her back was turned, Stiles and Scott, one her brother, the other practically her brother, had grown up into completely different people. Stiles was secretive and distant and Scott looked mature beyond his years, obviously knowing something about Stiles' disappearance.

Zooming the photo out once again, Felicity studied the faces of the other teens in the photo that she knew from Beacon Hills. Lydia, pretty as always, although now looking more far more grown up, having grown out of plaits and pigtails, leaning against Jackson, who looked weary, shadows under his eyes, as if he had gone through trauma recently.

Felicity frowned as she looked at the teenagers. Actually, they all had that look in their eyes...the same look that Oliver and Diggle sometimes had on their faces after a bad night... like the night of the earthquake, when Tommy had died in Oliver's arms.

No teenager should ever have that look on their face; Felicity decided as she looked at the photo, swiping tears from her eyes. Even Derek was too young to have that look on his face. He wasn't that much younger than her, but in Felicity's mind Derek always would be Laura's baby brother. After what happened to his family...after losing everything in that fire, Felicity had known that there would be deep mental scarring, but even then she had never expected the raw pain in the man's eyes. Others might not be able to pick it, but Felicity had known Derek from his childhood, and she knew his facial expressions. Felicity had after all learned how to read Derek like a book from Laura.

Right now Derek was carrying what Laura had used to call his kicked puppy look...for when he was sad, angry or really distressed about something. Felicity was familiar with it...Derek had used the expression a lot in the last six months or so before the fire, although now she could see the grown up version of it, she had to admit the look was much more intimidating than it ever had been before the fire.

Letting out a defeated sigh Felicity walked across the basement to her desk, dropping into her seat heavily, putting her phone down beside her, the photo of Stiles' friends still showing on the screen. Felicity glanced at her tablet and then at her phone.

Growing up she had never had anything to do with Jackson Whittlemore, other than send him scathing looks when she went and picked Stiles up from school. She knew that the adopted son of the Whittlemores had made Stiles life hell since the first grade...even going so far as to get a restraining order against him. Now though, Jackson had crossed several state lines in order to help Stiles. It was a big turnaround...and such a sudden change made Felicity suspicious.

Felicity knew well how Stiles felt about Jackson, and it made her think that there was no way Stiles would willingly join a gang that Jackson was in...which made her think that Jackson was probably a newer member of the group than Stiles. It would also explain why the teenager didn't look quite as concerned as the others. Even Erica, who Stiles had rarely mentioned, looked concerned in the image.

Even though she had spent what felt like hours staring at the photo, Felicity couldn't believe the resemblance between Roy and Jackson. They had to be related...there was no other way to explain it. She remembered the research she had done for Oliver when he had found out about Roy and Thea's blossoming relationship.

Sitting straighter Felicity brought up the information she already had on Roy, focusing on his early life, before his parents had been killed a car accident. It all seemed normal, and it pained Felicity to see how much it looked like Roy's biological parents had loved him, only to be tragically torn away from their son's life when the little boy was not even two years old.

Felicity began to extend her original search into the car accident itself. Roy hadn't been hurt in the head on collision, but both his parents were not so lucky. It was a miracle in itself that Roy's mother had lived long enough to make saving her unborn child a viable option for the doctors at the hospital she was taken to after the crash.

A little hacking of medical records and a glance over the insurance investigators report written by a Robert Reyes, father of the same Erica Stiles had obviously befriended, revealed that the hospital staff were successful in saving the life of Roy's younger sibling...his little brother, although Roy's mother had died midway through the procedure. The baby was literally pulled from his mother's dead body, and at the time the doctors had feared the baby had been deprived of oxygen for too long.

Their fears were unfounded, as the baby was perfectly healthy, even if a little undersize for being born a month before his expected due date. When Roy's parent's wills, written only weeks before were consulted, it became apparent that everything would be left to their children, although no one was listed when it came to who should become the guardian of Roy and his brother in the event of their parent's dying. Roy and the baby were sent into foster care, and they were both quickly adopted, Roy by the Harpers, the baby, now named Jackson, by the Whittlemores. The Harper family had moved to Starling City a few years later, and Jackson had grown up in a privileged household, tormenting his classmates and becoming, as Stiles once said, a first class douche.

Felicity stared at the screen, the light from the monitors reflecting in her glasses. She couldn't believe it. Roy Harper, the sweet, but street hardened kid that loved Thea Queen and who idolised the vigilante, and Jackson Whittlemore, the rich, spoiled boy who had tormented Stiles since their first day of school, were brothers. They'd been brought up in polar opposite families, one stealing to eat, the other driving around in a Porsche, but despite everything, they'd still somehow found themselves involved in Felicity's life (even if she made no claims of being fond of Jackson.

The buzz of the communication device in Felicity's ear coming to live broke her train of thought causing her to jump violently, almost squealing in surprise. She managed to keep her mouth shut as she heard Oliver's voice in her ear.

"Felicity, I need you to track a car for me," he hissed, before he rattled off his current location (which she already knew, thanks to the GPS unit she had fitted to Oliver's boots) and the licence plate of the car in question, an unassuming sedan that blended in with the rest of the traffic. Still, as it was the middle of the day, traffic was light, and using traffic cameras Felicity quickly located it and locked her computers onto it, pushing all thoughts of Roy and Jackson and their unexpected shared heritage back to the furthest recesses of her mind. Finding Stiles was her first priority

'Got it," Felicity said as she watched a live feed (thanks to a well angled security camera) the car start and begin driving away from her apartment building, weaving through the light traffic. She could hear pounding feet and air whistling, indicating Oliver was running, but she forced herself to pretend it was an ordinary case...that it wasn't Stiles that Oliver was trying to save. She watched her monitors as they flickered and changed, skipping from monitor to monitor, as she changed camera feeds. There were a few places where she held her breath, knowing that the car could turn or stop without her knowing, but to her relief the car always appeared. She brought up a map of Starling City, and began to track the route the car was taking

"Looks like they're heading for the glades, but by a roundabout route, there are much quicker ways to go," Felicity reported to Oliver.

'Keep me posted," Oliver replied and Felicity heard the sound of Oliver's motorbike revving loudly through the mike.

'Diggle...you might want to meet me there...From what i just saw I'm going to need back up." Oliver requested

"On my way," Diggle stated over his own com link

"Oliver...what did you just see?" Felicity asked, because, screw it, it was her brother. She needed to know what was going on, "what happened?"

"I followed Derek Hale to your apartment. He stood out the front for a bit before he was approached by two men. He beat them up and ordered them to take him to their Alpha...I guess that's their leader. It sounded like that was where Stiles was being held." Oliver told her.

"Did they say anything about how Stiles was? Is he hurt?" Felicity asked.

"Felicity...he's still alive...that's all I got," Oliver replied. Felicity squeezed her eyes shut, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Oh, thank God," Felicity sighed, wishing more than anything that Stiles was back safe with her and John. It was times like this that Felicity hated not being able to go out with Oliver and Diggle. She wished she could help free Stiles, but she knew, in her head, that if she was there, she'd only get in the way. Oliver and Diggle would be worried about protecting her, and not about saving Stiles and making sure they themselves didn't get hurt.

"Alright, Felicity, tell me where to go." Oliver said, and Felicity nodded to herself as she began to give Oliver directions, including shortcuts, so that he would be able to catch up. She cursed when the car disappeared, although only because it had gotten into the glades, where all the security cameras were either broken or not working thanks to the earthquake.

Nervously Felicity rested her chin on hands as Oliver began searching the Glades for the car, praying for him to find the car Derek had been in quickly. There was nothing else she could do to help rescue her brother...now Stiles' life was in the hands of Oliver, Diggle, and Derek hale and a group of teenagers that had followed their friend to Starling city in order to rescue him.

Felicity closed her eyes and prayed that all of them...Oliver, Stiles, Diggle and Derek...got out unharmed.

In her head, though, Felicity knew the chances of that happening were nonexistent. Letting out a sigh she picked up her phone and flicked through her contacts until she found Quentin Lance. The police officer needed to know what was happening.


End file.
